Transcriptional analysis of chIFITM knockout technology for increased vaccine yields

"Avian viruses are a major consideration in poultry health management as they cause disease and significant economic losses. Vaccines are the main tool used to mediate this problem. Due to the growth of the poultry industry, manufacturers are under considerable pressure to lower the costs of vaccines and to produce them more efficiently. As vaccines are predominantly produced in cell culture or embryonated chicken eggs, the host immune response poses a significant bottleneck in production, thereby reducing viral yields. Previous research has shown that transient ablation of restriction factors, namely Interferon Inducible Transmembrane Proteins (IFITMs), enables the virus to establish a more successful infection and consequently raises the yield of virus particles.

In this project we propose to employ CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology to stably knockout individual chicken IFITM (chIFITM) genes, as well as the entire chIFITM locus. To evaluate the outcomes of these gene edits, RNA sequencing will be used to identify differentially regulated immune signalling pathways. This will provide crucial information on the downstream effects of gene editing and determine whether this is a sustainable approach for vaccine production optimisation."

AfS, ENWW