Development of immune function and avian gut health

Improving the health of animals reared for food is an essential element of sustainable farming and the DIFAGH programme is focussed on improving avian gut health. Poultry products (meat and eggs) represent the largest source of animal protein in the world and with increasing demand for efficient, sustainable supply with the highest ethical and ecological standards of farming. Prevention of disease is one of the most important factors in poultry welfare and sustainable production, especially since the majority of birds are young and immunologically immature (particularly in the gut). The DIFAGH project will directly impact on this area, focusing on the development of probiotic regimens that will improve the immune competence of young poultry and protect them against bacterial diseases. Improving immune competence will improve resistance of young birds to disease and improve the responses generated by vaccines. Improving gut health is a priority for the poultry industry since problems in the gut contribute significantly in other areas such as litter quality and the attendant issues related to hock burn and foot problems.The development of a strong consortium in the field of avian gut health will lead to a range of international exchange opportunities enriching the academic and cultural development of staff and students.

The DIFAGH project represents a trans-European consortium involving experts in avian immunology, infectious disease, microflora analysis and probiotic development. We will employ state of the art approaches to identify and test for the effectiveness of probiotic formulations to improve the gut health of chickens. Importantly we will also seek formulations that reduce the capacity for infections to establish within the gut of poultry (including those with zoonotic capability).

The benefits of our studies will positively impact on the welfare of many millions of poultry in the field. Furthermore, it will improve consumer protection by subsequently reducing the need for antimicrobial treatments, the prevalence of Campylobacter and Salmonella in poultry as well as reducing the incidence of disease in humans. All studies will be licensed by appropriate agencies and ethical review bodies with the highest standards of animal care.

The DIFAGH proposal links cutting edge technologies with gut flora modification experiments to define
the contribution of microbial colonisation to the development of chicken immune capacity, resistance
and transmission of infection. The programme unites efforts of experienced avian immunologists,
pathogen specialists and gut flora microbiologists, forming a trans-EU team of scientists to address the
complex interactions between the chicken and its microbial environment. The proposed programme of
work will deliver a combination of high quality fundamental research and practical outcomes, defining a
new framework for selecting pro-biotic formulations to accelerate immune development, improve poultry
gut health and reduce pathogen carriage. Specifically, we will determine the effects of pro-biotic
formulations of differing complexity on the development of immune capability and the outcome of
infection. We will also determine the effects on colonisation, persistence and transmission of
Campylobacter and Salmonella.These analyses will be supported by in vitro and in vivo approaches to determine the microbial recognition events
within the bird (such as those mediated by the avian Pattern Recognition Receptor system) and the nature of the lymphocyte response (functional and repertoire based analyses). One important anticipated outcome of this work will be to develop a new set of selection criteria for
identifying components for a defined pro-biotic formulation.

The impact of a trans-EU programme are expicitly stated in the original application (see attachment) and include both academic, translational and improved welfare of poultry farmed throughout Europe.