New approaches to the diagnosis and control of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies.

This project takes a comprehensive approach to the development of diagnostic tests for BSE and other TSEs. Specifically, the proposal seeks to develop diagnostic tests for BSE and other TSEs that can be used to detect animals incubating the disease but which do not display clinical symptoms both in a live (field) test and in the tissues of animal carcasses, in an abattoir test. A preclinical test for BSE will either identify PrPSc or some other disease specific marker. Initially, the best candidate marker is PrPSc though this protein is poorly immunogenic and no antibodies are available which can discriminate between the normal and disease specific isoforms.

The proposal sets out novel methods that will allow the isolation of PrPSc monoclonal antibodies. Once appropriate antibodies against PrPSc or other marker proteins have been identified, assays using these reagents will be developed and optimised. to develop transgenic mice expressing PrP constructs from bovine and porcine species that provide rapid methods for assessing the levels of infectious agent in animal's tissues or their products. Such animals should provide sensitive and reasonably rapid tests for BSE in different tissues and fluids derived from potentially infected animals.

To determine the relative efficiencies of transmission of BSE to and between pigs by the oral and intercerebral routes as part of the more general investigation into TSEs. Part of this work will also utilise a transgenic mouse model expressing the porcine PrP gene analogous to the bovine model described above. In conclusion, this project presents a comprehensive and complete approach to the development of diagnostic tests for BSE and as part of their development and validation, provides sensitive animal models for the relatively rapid testing of beef and beef products for BSE.

Development of novel standardised Methodology and nomenclature for the identification of Mycobacterium bovis strains.

Mycobacterium bovis infection in farmed and feral animals represents a serious economic cost on agriculture both in Europe and world­wide. This project seeks to co­ordinate and standardises the methods and nomenclature of M.bovis strain typing to facilitate a multinational approach to the epidemiological investigation of TB in bovine and other agriculturally important species such as sheep and goats.

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