University of Edinburgh RILEY UKRI Innovation Fellowships: BBSRC Flexible Talent Mobility Accounts
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: The Roslin Institute
Abstract
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| Description | An interim report on the activities funded by this Flexible Talent Mobility Award was provided to BBSRC in 2018. A summary of the awards may be found below. Applicants: Dr Tom Burdon, Division of Developmental Biology at Roslin, Dr Tilo Kunath, Institute for Stem Cell Research at the University of Edinburgh and Dr Ken MacNamara at Synpromics Ltd. Beneficiary: Dr Derya Ozdemir (postdoctoral researcher at Roslin of Turkish origin) Value: £21,300.00 Purpose: Toward the delivery of gene products in a tissue- and stage-specific manner in gene therapy, this FTMA award enabled Dr Derya Ozdemir to work within Synpromics Ltd for 5 months to establish protocols for differentiation of pig and human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) into macrophages and then screening of a synthetic library of pig and human promoters for activity in such cells using a lentiviral delivery system and reported-based assay. Comments: Salary support for a non-UK Roslin Institute postdoctoral researcher at the end of contract. Significant in-kind and cash contributions were leveraged from Synpromics Ltd, including input into bioinformatics and construct design (£20K), synthesis of candidate promoter-enhancer elements (£25K), manufacture of lentivirus vectors (£10K), laboratory consumables (£2K), and ESC culture consumables (£8K). £65K co-funding from Synpromics Ltd in total. The project provided uplift to our ISP on 'Blueprints for Healthy Animals'. Applicants: Professor Lonneke Vervelde, Division of Infection & Immunity at Roslin & Dr Roger New at Proxima Concepts Ltd. Beneficiary: Dr Kate Sutton (postdoctoral researcher at Roslin). Value: £12,830.00 Purpose: The project aims to evaluate novel oil-based adjuvant formulations developed by Proxima Concepts Ltd for their ability to stimulate immune responses to a model protein antigen (FITC-conjugated bovine serum albumin) and vaccine (inactivated avian influenza virus) in poultry via oral, intratracheal and intracloacal routes. Potential of the adjuvants to stimulate antigen uptake into M cells and other antigen-presenting cells is to be tested by immunisation of transgenic MacReporter birds in which all myeloid cells express a fluorescent protein and use of fluorescently-labelled antigens. The preliminary data generated primed a successful InnovateUK proposal. Comments: Salary support for Dr Kate Sutton for 3 months and £850 toward the cost of travel, accommodation and subsistence while working at Proxima Concepts Ltd. Proxima Conepts Ltd provided proprietary adjuvants and expertise in-kind. Dr New visited the Roslin Institute at the expense of Proxima Concepts Ltd. The Pirbright Institute provided inactivated avian influenza virus in-kind. The project provided uplift to our ISP on 'Control of Infectious Diseases'. Applicants: Dr Jacqueline Smith, Division of Genetics & Genomics at Roslin and Dr Rachel Hawken at Cobb-Vantress Inc. Beneficiary: Richard Kuo (Ph. D student and bioinformatician at Roslin). Value: £3,585.00 Purpose: As part of an InnovateUK- and Cobb-funded project, RNA from 20 chicken tissues has been analysed using iso-seq long-read sequencing. A Roslin Ph.D student (Richard Kuo) visited Cobb Vantress in Arkansas for one month to explain the annotation he has created for the chicken genome (with the location of >50k transcripts), develop an interface where expression data can be easily visualized by Cobb researchers, design iso-seq experiments to analyse allele-specific gene expression in Cobb lines and analyse signatures of genome selection generated by Cobb. Comments: Flights accommodation, car hire and subsistence for a visit by Richard Kuo to Cobb-Vantress in Arkansas, United States, for 1 month. Provides uplift to our ISP on 'Blueprints for Healthy Animals' and a BBSRC-funded project on which Mr Kuo is deployed (BBSRC grant BB/N019202/1 'Maximising the value of public-functional omics data for livestock genomes. The Animal Functional Genomics Resource'). It further extended a strategic platform agreement between Cobb Vantress and Roslin. Applicants: Dr Jacqueline Smith, Division of Genetics & Genomics at Roslin and Dr Wioletta Drobik at the University of Warsaw. Hy-Line International as data providers. Beneficiary: Callum Donnelley (Ph. D student at Roslin). Value: £3,035.00 Purpose: The funding enabled a Ph.D student in the laboratory of Dr Jacqueline Smith to visit Dr Wioletta Drobik at the University of Warsaw to study the basis of heritable resistance of laying hens to highly pathogenic avian influenza. The project used genotype and phenotype records from Hy-Line International Ltd toward a future BBSRC IPA or LINK application.While in Warsaw the student also attended a week-long course on statistical methods for genome-enabled selection organised by Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Science. Comments: Flights, accommodation and subsistence for Mr Donnelley to visit Warsaw for 1 month. Substantial in-kind contributions from Hy-Line International, including detailed genotype and phenotype records of laying hens exposed to outbreaks of highly-pathogenic avian influenza. The project provided uplift to our ISP on 'Control of Infectious Diseases' Applicants: Professor Brendan Corcoran, Clinical Research Associate of the Roslin Institute. Beneficiary: Dr Karen Tan (postdoctoral researcher at Roslin & the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies). Value: £19,025.00 Purpose: The funding enabled the retention of Dr Karen Tan to continue to develop a model of canine myxomatous mitral valve disease using valve interstitial and endothelial cells from healthy and diseased dogs in collaboration with Zoetis. Dr Tan is highly skilled in the use of the model and was supported by £15k consumables from Zoetis, with the aim of producing preliminary data for a BBSRC IPA project to which Zoetis have agreed to contribute and providing bridging support for her to act as Researcher Co-Investigator. Comments: Salary support for Dr Karen Tan for 6 months to enable her to be retained at the end of contract. Zoetis agreed to commit £15k toward consumable costs for the work conducted by Dr Tan during the FTMA-funded period. Zoetis are kept informed of progress and agree to join an Industrial Partnership Award proposal relating to findings from the cell culture model. The model was developed partly from a BBSRC LINK award BB/I021337/1 on 'Improving the efficiency of Induced Pluripotent Stem cell generation in the dog'. Applicants: Dr Ian Dunn & Jeffrey Schoenebeck, Division of Genetics & Genomics at Roslin. Beneficiaries: Björn Andersson of Lohmann Tierzucht (3 visits to Roslin), Maisarah Maidin (Ph.D student at Roslin, 1 visit to Lohmann) and Dr Jeff Schoenebeck (Career-Track Fellow at Roslin, 1 visit to Lohmann). Value: £8,507.00 Purpose: The funding was used to support three visits to Roslin by an early career researcher at Lohmann Tierzucht (Björn Andersson) to train in approaches for evaluating bone density and morphology to improve the selection of birds with improved bone health, in particular in laying hens where fractures leading to lameness are common. Reciprocal visits were supported for Roslin scientists to visit Lohmann to investigate nutritional solutions to bone health problems (Maisarah Maidin) and explore a collaboratiove project on the genetic basis of beak morphology (Jeff Schoenebeck) toward control of injurious pecking. Comments: Flights, accommodation and subsistence during exchange visits. The projects have extended a long-standing and productive collaboration between Roslin and Lohmann Tierzucht, a leading breeder of laying hens. FTMA support provided uplift to activities linking the participants in EC-funded COST action and Era-Net projects. Further uplift was provided to our ISPs on 'Blueprints for Healthy Animals' and 'Improving Animal Productiivity and Welfare'. Applicants: Dr Xavier Donadeu, Division of Developmental Biology at Roslin and Dr Guilherme Nogueria at Sao Paulo State University Beneficiary: Dr Marcos Maioli of Sao Paulo State University, Brazil (one visit of 6 weeks to Roslin). Value: £2,990.00 Purpose: Funding for a 6 week visit to Roslin by a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Dr Guilherme Nogueria at Sao Paulo State University. Dr Nogueria is a leading expert in puberty in livestock and his recent studies have demonstrated the value of genetic and nutritional approaches to reduce onset of puberty in Nelore heifers. With FTMA support, his postdocoral researcher (Dr Marcos Maioli) visited Roslin for 6 weeks to evaluate circulating miRNAs as biomarkers of the onset of puberty using samples from Nelore cattle, building on work in the Donadeu laboratory on the value of miRNAs as predictors of reproductive success. Comments: Flights, accommodation and subsistence during visit. Established a new UK-Brazil collaboration and promotes the mobility of an overseas early-career researcher. Provides uplift to BBSRC-funded research of miRNAs as markers of fertility in livestock in our ISP on 'Improving animal productivity and welfare'. Applicant: Professor Lonneke Vervelde, Division of Infection & Immunity at Roslin. Beneficiary: Dr Samantha Ellis (postdoctoral researcher at Roslin). Value: £14,138.00 Purpose: Funding to retain Dr Samantha Ellis for three months at the end of contract in order to undertake collaborative research with the University of Oxford to predict and evaluate immunogenic epitopes of avian influenza virus. The topic is of significant interest to Ceva and Boehringer Ingelheim, who have each expressed interest in co-funding in vivo trials via the IPA scheme once preliminary data is obtained to mitigate risk. Comments: Salary support for Dr Samantha Ellis for 3 months at end of contract and a £2,660 contribution to travel, accommodation and subsistence while at the University of Oxford working with Professor Sunetra Gupta. Boehringer Ingelheim followed the results under Confidentiality Disclosure Agreements and agreed to support a BBSRC IPA proposal related to the work. The project provided uplift to our ISP on 'Control of Infectious Diseases' and will aid transfer of expertise on computational prediction of immunogenic epitopes and evaluation of their conservation and reactivity using pseudotyped viral particles expressing different HA molecules. The project is related to a concurrent £20K Impact Acceleration Account award to Dr Vervelde on the same topic, which supported directly-incurred research costs. Applicants: Professor Paul Digard, Division of Infection & Immunity at Roslin. Dr Rachel Hawkin at Cobb Vantress Inc. Beneficiary: Dr Eleanor Gaunt (postdoctoral researcher at Roslin). Value: £12,440.00 Purpose: Dr Gaunt received funding from the FTMA to visit Cobb Vantress in the US to explore targets for genome editing of poultry to instil resistance to avian influenza. In part, these discussions have led to a submitted BBSRC IPA proposal with Cobb. Other targets will be identified from genome-scale mutagenesis screens for proviral factors using CRISPR:sgRNA libraries and from genome-wide association studies to locate resistance determinants. Comments: Salary support for 3 months for Dr Eleanor Gaunt and £1,500 toward travel, accommodation and subsistence to visit Cobb in the US. The salary support Dr Gaunt received during this work bridged her for 3 months between the end of her contract and the outcome of a Wellcome Sir Henry Dale Felllowship. This was awarded in July 2018, and commenced in September 2018. The project provided uplift to our ISP on 'Control of Infectious Diseases' and extends productive collaboration with a key strategic partner, leading in part to submission of a BBSRC IPA proposal. Significantly, the funding enabled a talented researcher to be retained at Roslin while her successful Wellcome Trust Fellowship was evaluated. Cobb agreed to provide c. £6k toward directly-incurred research costs. |
| Exploitation Route | As requested by BBSRC for the Roslin-linked Impact Accelerator Account and ISCF Transforming Food Production Seeding Award, outcomes of sub-awards of this grant are reported relative to other BBSRC investments to which they are relevant, including Institute Strategic Programmes and BBSRC responsive-mode grants. |
| Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Description | FTMA-funded collaboration with Cobb Vantress |
| Organisation | Cobb Vantress |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Dr Eleanor Gaunt received funding from the FTMA to visit Cobb Vantress in the US to explore targets for genome editing of poultry to instil resistance to avian influenza. In part, these discussions have led to a submitted BBSRC IPA proposal with Cobb. Other targets will be identified from genome-scale mutagenesis screens for proviral factors using CRISPR:sgRNA libraries and from genome-wide association studies to locate resistance determinants. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Cobb agreed to host Dr Gaunt and to provide c. £6k toward directly-incurred research costs. |
| Impact | To be reported in relevant BBSRC grants, as directed by the funder. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | FTMA-funded collaboration with Cobb Vantress (2) |
| Organisation | Cobb Vantress |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | A Roslin Ph.D student (Richard Kuo) visited Cobb Vantress in Arkansas for one month to explain the annotation he has created for the chicken genome (with the location of >50k transcripts), develop an interface where expression data can be easily visualized by Cobb researchers, design iso-seq experiments to analyse allele-specific gene expression in Cobb lines and analyse signatures of genome selection generated by Cobb. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Access to Cobb datasets. |
| Impact | Outcomes to be reported in relevant BBSRC awards, as directed by the funder. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | FTMA-funded collaboration with Proxima Concepts Ltd |
| Organisation | Proxima Concepts Limited |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The project allowed Dr Sam Ellis to evaluate novel oil-based adjuvant formulations developed by Proxima Concepts Ltd for their ability to stimulate immune responses to a model protein antigen (FITC-conjugated bovine serum albumin) and vaccine (inactivated avian influenza virus) in poultry via oral, intratracheal and intracloacal routes. Potential of the adjuvants to stimulate antigen uptake into M cells and other antigen-presenting cells is to be tested by immunisation of transgenic MacReporter birds in which all myeloid cells express a fluorescent protein and use of fluorescently-labelled antigens. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Proxima Conepts Ltd provided proprietary adjuvants and expertise in-kind. Dr New visited the Roslin Institute at the expense of Proxima Concepts Ltd. The Pirbright Institute provided inactivated avian influenza virus in-kind. |
| Impact | Outcomes to be reported in relevant BBSRC projects, as directed by the funder. The project led to an InnovateUK proposal for further work with Proxima Concepts Ltd. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | FTMA-funded collaboration with Sympromics Ltd |
| Organisation | Synpromics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Toward the delivery of gene products in a tissue- and stage-specific manner in gene therapy, this FTMA award enabled Dr Derya Ozdemir to work within Synpromics Ltd for 5 months to establish protocols for differentiation of pig and human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) into macrophages and then screening of a synthetic library of pig and human promoters for activity in such cells using a lentiviral delivery system and reported-based assay. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Significant in-kind and cash contributions were leveraged from Synpromics Ltd, including input into bioinformatics and construct design (£20K), synthesis of candidate promoter-enhancer elements (£25K), manufacture of lentivirus vectors (£10K), laboratory consumables (£2K), and ESC culture consumables (£8K). |
| Impact | Outcomes to be reported in relevant BBSRC awards, as directed by the funder. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | FTMA-funded collaboration with Zoetis |
| Organisation | Zoetis |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The funding enabled the retention of Dr Karen Tan to continue to develop a model of canine myxomatous mitral valve disease using valve interstitial and endothelial cells from healthy and diseased dogs in collaboration with Zoetis. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Zoetis agreed to commit £15k toward consumable costs for the work conducted by Dr Tan during the FTMA-funded period. Zoetis are kept informed of progress and agree to join an Industrial Partnership Award proposal relating to findings from the cell culture model. The model was developed partly from a BBSRC LINK award BB/I021337/1 on 'Improving the efficiency of Induced Pluripotent Stem cell generation in the dog'. |
| Impact | Outcomes to reported in relevant BBSRC awards, as directed by the funder. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | FTMA-funded collaboration with the University of Warsaw |
| Organisation | University of Warsaw |
| Country | Poland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The funding enabled a Ph.D student in the laboratory of Dr Jacqueline Smith to visit Dr Wioletta Drobik at the University of Warsaw to study the basis of heritable resistance of laying hens to highly pathogenic avian influenza. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The project used genotype and phenotype records from the University of Warsaw and Hy-Line International Ltd. |
| Impact | Outcomes to be reported in relevant BBSRC awards, as directed by the funder. |
| Start Year | 2018 |