BBSRC National Bioscience Research Infrastructure: Low Containment Services and Science Platforms
Lead Research Organisation:
THE PIRBRIGHT INSTITUTE
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Technical Summary
The purpose of the Low Containment Services and Science Technology Platforms capability is to both support the High Containment Services and Science Technology Platforms (PIR-NBRI-1) and to provide dedicated facilities for low containment study of virus: host interactions. The NBRI includes five major pieces of infrastructure: The BBSRC National Vaccinology Centre: The Jenner Building, two insectary facilities (The Philip Mellor Insectary and the IS4L facility), The Houghton Facility a poultry hatchery unit and The Biggs Building, a low containment facility for infection of poultry. The Jenner building houses around 100 scientists in low containment laboratories and offices and includes those studying poultry viruses that are endemic in the UK (including low pathogenicity animal influenza viruses, Marek’s disease virus and infectious bronchitis viruses), and scientists performing fundamental host-pathogen interaction studies, including those developing genetically modified insect lines. Jenner also supports scientists who primarily work in high containment (under our PIR-NBRI-1 application) who require low containment space for some tasks and bioinformaticians. The other four infrastructures provide dedicated specialist services for production, maintenance and infection of poultry and insects. The NBRI supports large and diverse teams of workers in engineering, risk and assurance and animal services that rigorously maintain the highest standards in running of low containment facilities requiring highly specialised controlled temperature regimes and animal husbandry.
A range of science platforms are also maintained in Jenner as part of the NBRI. The Immunological Toolbox facility provides a diverse range of unique reagents and resources to promote veterinary immunology and vaccinology research both in the UK and globally. In addition, bioimaging, flow cytometry and bioinformatics services are provided that allow comparable data for studies carried out across containment levels and harmonisation in analysis and interpretation. Our insect transgenesis platform is a nationally unique capability to allow access to generate genetically modified mosquitos and midges that are vectors for livestock disease. Together, these science platforms not only provide vital collaborative support during studies, but also provide training to a wide range of users, helping to sustain the UK’s excellence in bioscience.
A range of science platforms are also maintained in Jenner as part of the NBRI. The Immunological Toolbox facility provides a diverse range of unique reagents and resources to promote veterinary immunology and vaccinology research both in the UK and globally. In addition, bioimaging, flow cytometry and bioinformatics services are provided that allow comparable data for studies carried out across containment levels and harmonisation in analysis and interpretation. Our insect transgenesis platform is a nationally unique capability to allow access to generate genetically modified mosquitos and midges that are vectors for livestock disease. Together, these science platforms not only provide vital collaborative support during studies, but also provide training to a wide range of users, helping to sustain the UK’s excellence in bioscience.
Planned Impact
unavailable
Organisations
- THE PIRBRIGHT INSTITUTE (Collaboration, Lead Research Organisation)
- Stanford University (Collaboration)
- Atomic Weapons Establishment (Collaboration)
- Kansas State University (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL (Collaboration)
- Wageningen University & Research (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF YORK (Collaboration)
- Diamond Light Source (Collaboration)
- Washington State University (Collaboration)
- Royal Veterinary College (RVC) (Collaboration)
- Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU Munich) (Collaboration)
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (Collaboration)
- UK HEALTH SECURITY AGENCY (Collaboration)
- Royal Society of Biology (RSB) (Collaboration)
- ProImmune (Collaboration)
- Babraham Institute (Collaboration)
- Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL) (Collaboration)
- LIVERPOOL SCHOOL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF SURREY (Collaboration)
- Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) (Collaboration)
- Wellcome Sanger Institute (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH (Collaboration)
- University of Tartu (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX (Collaboration)
- Animal and Plant Health Agency (Collaboration)
- University of Castile-La Mancha (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF BATH (Collaboration)
- University of Oxford (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN (Collaboration)
- European Biosafety Association (Collaboration)
- Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (Collaboration)
- National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) (Collaboration)
- Open University (Collaboration)
- University of Reading (Collaboration)
- DURHAM UNIVERSITY (Collaboration)
- Moy Park (Collaboration)
- U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA (Collaboration)
- The Statens Serum Institute (SSI) (Collaboration)
- University of St Andrews (Collaboration)
- Toscana Life Sciences Foundation (Collaboration)
- Federal University of Santa Catarina (Collaboration)
- University of Southampton (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM (Collaboration)
- Verily Life Sciences LLC (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE (Collaboration)
- Hasanuddin University (Collaboration)
- IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON (Collaboration)
- Keele University (Collaboration)
- University of Idaho (Collaboration)
- Mississippi State University (Collaboration)
- OXFORD BROOKES UNIVERSITY (Collaboration)
- Department For Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (DEFRA) (Collaboration)
- University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis (Collaboration)
- Boehringer Ingelheim (Collaboration)
- South China Agricultural University (Collaboration)
Publications
Adel A
(2024)
Advancing IBDV diagnostics: a one-step multiplex real-time qRT-PCR for discriminating between vvIBDV and non-vvIBDV viruses, including the newly emerged IBDV variant.
in Frontiers in veterinary science
Adeyemi O
(2024)
Microbiological Assessment and Evaluation of Virus Yield in Germ-free Chicken Eggs
in The Open Microbiology Journal
Al-Dalawi L
(2025)
Research note: Use of in vitro and in ovo approaches to characterise avian influenza viruses and assess species specific responses to infection.
in Poultry science
Ashley EC
(2025)
Attenuated but not virulent pseudorabies virus activates porcine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells.
in Veterinary immunology and immunopathology
Aydin O
(2025)
Phylogeny of multiple genomic regions of infectious laryngotracheitis virus in Turkish poultry flocks.
in Poultry science
Bailey D
(2025)
Identifying an evolutionary origin for morbilliviruses in bats.
in Nature microbiology
Bayraktar E
(2024)
Molecular characterisation of fowl adenovirus associated with hydropericardium hepatitis syndrome in broiler and layer breeders in Azerbaijan.
in BMC veterinary research
Berryman S
(2025)
Foot-and-mouth disease vaccine quality: A universal test for intact viral capsids based on detection of VP4.
in Vaccine
| Description | This low containment infrastructure has been critical to the success of our high containment laboratories and animal facilities by providing an efficient cluster of expertise and facilities that helps to drive studies into high containment and helps ensure the value of our work in NBRI1, and across the entire Institute. Responding to emerging viruses through synergy between both NBRIs has been a real success. NBRI2 has underpinned critical elements of the UK response to BTV and AIV outbreaks. Studies to determine the impact of the blue tongue virus-3 incursion into the UK was driven by our capability to study the responses in cattle and sheep using the natural Culicoides midge infection model. This model is also allowing us to understand vector competence of related viruses where vector transmission is directly linked to climate change. Our analysis of midge behaviours and species identification determines when Defra declares the midge low season in the UK on which movement restrictions are based. This has produced valuable risk assessments and advice to government and broad collaboration across Europe. A method for editing the genome of the blue tongue virus vector Culicoides sonorensis has been developed and validated through the creation of a stable gene-edited strain carrying heritable mutations in a target gene that produces a visible eye phenotype. This world-first Culicoides strain also provides a valuable platform for advancing gene-editing in C. sonorensis, as it can be used to facilitate the screening of editing events at additional genomic targets. Our response to avian influenza has been driven by our highly trusted fundamental research that can risk assess emerging viruses for its species spill over and zoonotic potential. Most of this research is based on methods we have developed in low containment. Significant new knowledge was produced on influenza viral evolution, host susceptibility, and co-infection dynamics, including that previous influenza A virus replication, prolongs shedding, and drives intra-host viral evolution in chickens. H5N1 spillover in horses has been explored alongside, host-specific evolutionary trajectories of panzootic H5N1, and improved avian influenza vaccine strategies. As founding members of several large consortia across Europe and beyond, we are developing a detailed understanding of viral reassortment linked to host factors and in turn mapping areas of influenza zoonotic risk. Advice across the UK and internationally has been extensively communicated to a wide stakeholder group feeding advice to policy makers; particularly to the UK HPAI vaccination working group established as a partnership initiative between government and industry, the WHO and the World Egg Organisation. We continue to be the world leading centre of research and capability to study livestock B cell and antibody responses. Through significant leveraged funding linked to our Immunological Toolbox STP we have detailed the epitope landscapes of important viruses and are translating this into new control measures. This pipeline also creates new reagents as we secure antibodies and develop new technologies to engineer existing antibody removing our reliance on animals. Novel tools to study functional B cell subsets in cattle have been developed using cross-reactive antibodies against lineage-defining transcription factors. We demonstrated that in combination with other B cell markers that this can be used to track FMDV-specific B cells in blood and lymph nodes. The developed labelling strategy will allow hypothesis driven vaccine research in multiple settings, including immunisation and infection studies. We collaborate globally with this expertise, from the provision of reagents, supporting developing technologies and large programmes of multidisciplinary work to produce new vaccines and diagnostics. |
| Exploitation Route | Findings in influenza virology can be taken forward by academic researchers, vaccine manufacturers, and policy-makers to strengthen surveillance, biosecurity, vaccine design, and risk assessment, supporting both animal health and zoonotic preparedness. An in vitro chicken B-cell maturation platform provides a valuable tool to study virus-host interactions under controlled conditions reducing the use of animals. Novel bioimaging methods developed will be used by research groups internally and externally working on ACDP2, GM2 and SAPO2 viruses. The midge gene editing protocol we developed is starting to enable the scientific community to perform functional genomics studies in Culicoides biting midges and, ultimately, deepen our understanding of how these insects interact with the viruses they transmit and the hosts they target. |
| Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Description | Work on the research questions performed in these facilities has concretely strengthened the UK's industrial capacity by co-developing novel reagents for work on mosquito vectors in partnership with industrial partner ProImmune, who has already begun to sell the products we collaborated on developing. By improving understanding of how avian influenza and Newcastle disease viruses adapt, spread, and interact with their hosts, the research supports more effective surveillance, vaccine development, and diagnostic strategies. These outcomes contribute to protecting the productivity and resilience of the UK poultry and livestock sectors, reducing the economic losses associated with disease outbreaks and enhancing the competitiveness of UK-led animal health research and innovation. The findings have also informed risk assessment frameworks relevant to public services and policy, providing data that can be used by animal health agencies and policy-makers to prioritise monitoring of high-risk viral variants and strengthen biosecurity guidance. Societally, the work contributes to improved animal welfare, food security, and public health by supporting early detection and mitigation of viruses with zoonotic potential. In addition, the research has built capacity through shared methods, datasets, and expertise, benefiting diagnostic laboratories, industry partners, and international collaborators, and supporting long-term preparedness against emerging infectious diseases beyond academia. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2024 |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Healthcare,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Impact Types | Economic |
| Description | Contribution to Science Innovation and Technology Committee enquiry on Science Diplomacy |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| URL | https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9067/science-diplomacy/ |
| Description | Defining Zika R&D Research Priorities and Integrated Mosquito-borne Arbovirus Strategy meeting |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | Imperial College London (Masters-level training) |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | The students will be better prepared for how to prepare and respond to outbreaks of tropical vector-borne diseases, which is highly relevant as many students on the course were from disease-endemic countries. |
| URL | https://www.imperial.ac.uk |
| Description | Imperial College London (masters course training) |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Maters students will graduate with enhanced knowledge of virus-host interactions that will impact their future decision making |
| Description | Imperial College London (masters course training) |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Educating the next generation of virus host interaction researchers |
| Description | Imperial Masters student training |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Description | Imperial Masters student training (2026) |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Description | OmicsLearning coordinator |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | We have a series of regular courses spanning bioinformatics, genomics, biostatistics, related application areas such as flow cytometry analysis, bioimage analysis and data management (collectively known as "OmicsLearning"). For example, in the 12 months April 2023 to March 2024, we ran 20 OmicsLearning courses (Introduction to R twice, Introduction to Unix twice, Introduction to Python, Using R Packages, Using Python Packages, Data Visualisation, Read Library QC, Genome Assembly, Read Mapping, Mutation Detection, Transcriptomics, Phylogenomics, Bioimage Analysis, Antibody Diversity, Describing Statistical Data, Hypothesis Testing, Probability, Linear Models). These were attended by 72 people, who attended an average of 2.25 courses each. Many participants have integrated bioinformatic and computational approaches into their work as a result, with resulting output seen in research reports, papers, grant applications and the capacity to analyse high-throughput data themselves. The OmicsLearning courses help achieve the BBSRC Institute Strategy goal of "strengthening capability and specialist training of the UK bioscience workforce, from early career researchers, through to technical specialists and research leaders". Of four staff members awarded OmicsLearning awards in 2023, two have gone on to pursue PhDs involving computational analyses, and the other two have moved into roles linked to bioinformatics, one of which was a Career Development Fellowship. In survey response, 55% of respondents say they use what they learned in these courses "often" or "all the time"; 88% say they have used what they learned in the courses; and 50% say they have used these new skills during searches for a new role internally or externally. |
| Description | Oxford Medical Students training |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Description | Oxford medical students training (2026) |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Description | PIIE (Pharmaceutical Industry Information Exchange) |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Impact | Open discussion about security issues amongst the industry members. This provides feedback to the Government agencies, and influence policy decisions. |
| Description | Resilience to threats from animal disease |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| URL | https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9107/resilience-to-threats-from-animal-disease/publications/ |
| Description | Timing of skin testing to diagnose bovine tuberculosis |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Description | University of Oxford (Medical students training) |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Medical students in the UK may encounter tropical diseases in patients returning from overseas travel. In this lecture they gained an insight into the disease caused by dengue virus and how people can protect themselves when they travel overseas, allowing them to better care for patients when they enter the clinic. |
| URL | https://www.ox.ac.uk |
| Description | Written contribution to "Innovation and Global Food Security" inquiry |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| URL | https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9293/ |
| Description | Zika pandemic preparedness ten-year plan consultation (Wellcome Trust/WHO) |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | A bivalent vaccine to reduce the risk of Nipah virus outbreaks |
| Amount | £1,488,875 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2023 |
| End | 03/2026 |
| Description | A live attenuated pseudorabies virus vectored Nipah vaccine for enhanced protection in pigs |
| Amount | £332,404 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 10024897 |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2022 |
| End | 03/2023 |
| Description | A methodology to universally attenuate avian coronavirus strains |
| Amount | £450,616 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/Z516144/1 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2025 |
| End | 01/2027 |
| Description | Application of molecular xenomonitoring in a lateral flow test format for multiplexed monitoring of vector-borne viruses and their animal reservoirs and insect vectors in low-income settings |
| Amount | £49,015 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | IAA2149 |
| Organisation | Medical Research Council (MRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2024 |
| End | 03/2025 |
| Description | Blood Markers for prediction of respiratory virus infection |
| Amount | £21,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2023 |
| End | 07/2024 |
| Description | Development of CVI988 based recombinant vaccine |
| Amount | £238,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Eco Animal Health Ltd |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2023 |
| End | 02/2024 |
| Description | Development of avian herpesvirus vector vaccines for poultry |
| Amount | £772,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | MSD Animal Health |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2024 |
| End | 12/2026 |
| Description | Development of multivalent HVT vectored vaccines |
| Amount | £630,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Vaxxinova |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Start | 07/2022 |
| End | 12/2025 |
| Description | Development of multivalent HVT vectored vaccines |
| Amount | £618,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Virbac |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | France |
| Start | 01/2026 |
| End | 01/2028 |
| Description | Effects of co-infections on Marek's disease in poultry and development of novel recombinant Marek's disease virus vector vaccines |
| Amount | £562,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/X017575/1 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2023 |
| End | 09/2026 |
| Description | Emerging porcine influenza and coronaviruses" (EPICVIR) |
| Amount | £596,027 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/X019780/1 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2023 |
| End | 10/2026 |
| Description | Functional activity of Meq oncoprotein isoforms from Marek's disease virus strains circulating in the UK: correlation with pathogenicity and virulence |
| Amount | £12,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | Houghton Trust HT-SPRG-25-10 |
| Organisation | The Houghton Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2025 |
| End | 09/2026 |
| Description | GAP-DC-II: Genomics for Animal and Plant Disease Centre |
| Amount | £10,049,682 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | SE0574. |
| Organisation | Department For Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (DEFRA) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2023 |
| End | 08/2027 |
| Description | Gene editing of chicken cell line DF-1 for increased HVT vaccine production |
| Amount | £11,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | Houghton Trust HT/SPRG/24/02 |
| Organisation | The Houghton Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2024 |
| End | 09/2025 |
| Description | Houghton Trust International Travel Grant-Liping Liu |
| Amount | £1,292 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | HT0967 |
| Organisation | The Houghton Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2024 |
| End | 07/2024 |
| Description | Houghton Trust International Travel Grant-Yaoyao Zhang |
| Amount | £1,499 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | HT0965 |
| Organisation | The Houghton Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2024 |
| End | 07/2024 |
| Description | Houghton trust travel grant - Sophie Cutts |
| Amount | £1,004 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | HT0968 |
| Organisation | The Houghton Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2024 |
| End | 07/2024 |
| Description | Houghton trust travel grant-Soumendu Chakravarti |
| Amount | £1,500 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | HT0963 |
| Organisation | The Houghton Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2024 |
| End | 07/2024 |
| Description | IAA: Examining the possibility of a universal methodology for coronavirus vaccine development |
| Amount | £14,675 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | CORO354800 |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2025 |
| End | 03/2026 |
| Description | IT Infrastructure |
| Amount | £4,172,394 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2024 |
| End | 03/2025 |
| Description | Impact Accelerator Account (IAA) - Tropical Infectious Disease Consortium: Expanding and Accelerating Product Development |
| Amount | £45,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | IAA21109 |
| Organisation | Medical Research Council (MRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2025 |
| End | 02/2026 |
| Description | Impact Accelerator Account (IAA) - Tropical Infectious Disease Consortium: Expanding and Accelerating Product Development |
| Amount | £54,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | IAA2148 |
| Organisation | Medical Research Council (MRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2024 |
| End | 08/2025 |
| Description | Innovative technologies to improve vaccine thermostability |
| Amount | £154,507 (GBP) |
| Organisation | aVaxziPen |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2025 |
| End | 05/2025 |
| Description | Investigating Host and Viral Factors for Improved Design of Future Live Attenuated Vaccines for IBV |
| Amount | £668,367 (GBP) |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2022 |
| End | 03/2025 |
| Description | Investigation of the role of the s2m motif in IBV replication and pathogenicity |
| Amount | £155,500 (GBP) |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2023 |
| End | 09/2027 |
| Description | MRC Impact Accelerator Accounts (Tropical Infectious Disease Consortium: Expanding and Accelerating Product Development) |
| Amount | £53,362 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | IAA2148 |
| Organisation | Medical Research Council (MRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2024 |
| End | 02/2025 |
| Description | Multilateral UK-USA-France Partnership in Genetic Engineering of Disease Vectors |
| Amount | £17,500 (GBP) |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2024 |
| End | 06/2024 |
| Description | Oropouche virus - Vector competence of UK mosquitoes to OROV |
| Amount | £30,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections at University of Liverpool |
| Sector | Hospitals |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2024 |
| End | 03/2025 |
| Description | PhD studentship |
| Amount | £96,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2023 |
| End | 03/2027 |
| Description | Rational development of the next generation of vaccines for Infectious Bronchitis Virus |
| Amount | £155,538 (GBP) |
| Organisation | British Egg Marketing Board |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2024 |
| End | 09/2028 |
| Description | The role of perivascular cell dysfunction in hepatic complications of dengue haemorrhagic fever |
| Amount | £589,017 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | MR/X009203/1 |
| Organisation | Medical Research Council (MRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2024 |
| End | 01/2027 |
| Description | Travel Grant |
| Amount | £350 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Microbiology Society |
| Sector | Learned Society |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2024 |
| End | 04/2024 |
| Description | Using machine learning to identify the molecular determinants of vector-borne transmission in viruses |
| Amount | £110,327 (GBP) |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2024 |
| End | 04/2028 |
| Title | Animal study for investigating the performance and evolution of live attenuated vaccines in poultry |
| Description | This is a set of comprehensive set of biological samples taken from 212 Rhode Island Red SPF chickens. The sample set includes samples taken from upper/lower eye lid, beak, trachea, lung, kidney, bursa, spleen and blood. The samples are stored in RNAlater, PBS and snap frozen in OCT. |
| Type Of Material | Biological samples |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | This set of samples forms an important and valuable resource for investigating the evolution of IBV vaccines in poultry. It will be a critical resource for upcoming projects at Pirbright and is already providing samples for other projects including the Bill and Melinda Gates Antibody hub who are using the serum from blood samples to investigate variable regions in chicken B-cells. |
| Title | CRISPR knockout cell line of NF-kB |
| Description | An Aedes aegypti mosquito cell line lacking the NF-kB transcription factor Rel2, therefore being defective in a particular arm of the immune response. |
| Type Of Material | Cell line |
| Year Produced | 2026 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | These tools were used to validate ankyrons (antibody-like detection reagents) for studying mosquito NF-kB, developed and sold by the company ProImmune. |
| Title | Development of method to produce single cell suspension of cells from chicken trachea for use in single cell RNA-Seq using 10X 3' Gene expression |
| Description | We developed a novel methodology to process chicken trachea in the form of a high viability single cell suspension for use with the 10X Genomics 3' Gene expression kit. |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | This will be published along with results from the study in a high impact paper in 2025 |
| Title | Development of recomibinant system to express Buffalo IgGs |
| Description | We developed a recombinant system for expression of IgG from buffalo to research immune response against various pathogens |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | No impact yet |
| Title | Development of recomibinant system to express Cattle IgM and IgA |
| Description | Developed recombinant system to express complex oligomeric IgA and IgM antibdes from cattle to study immune responses against various diseases. |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | These reagent are being used to study muosal immunity, assay and reagent developemnt. |
| Title | Development of recomibinant system to express pig IgM and IgA |
| Description | This system allows the recombinant expression oligomeric antibodies (IgM & IgA) from pig. |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | No impact yet |
| Title | Development of recomibinant system to express rabbit IgG |
| Description | This system has been developed to express recombinant IgG from rabbit B cells |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | No impact yet |
| Title | Development of single cell data isolation pipeline for single cell omics |
| Description | This work presents scpImaging, a novel computational pipeline that repurposes the latent microscopy data routinely generated during cellenONE-based sample preparation to provide deterministic quality control (QC) and high-content phenotypic profiling. We demonstrate that standard proteomic quality metrics for SCP (e.g., peptide count, signal intensity) paradoxically favour retaining doublets. In contrast, scpImaging applies machine-learning-based cell segmentation (Cellpose-SAM) to identify and exclude these artefacts with high precision. Furthermore, the framework integrates morphological metrics generated using the open-source CellProfiler, with proteomic abundance data, enabling joint analysis that links cell shape and texture to molecular cell state. |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Year Produced | 2025 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Impact will depend on uptake but expected will be a resource for labs worldwide, all code available open access on preprint |
| URL | https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.01.691577v1 |
| Title | Establishment of an efficient CRISPR/Cas9 gRNA library screening to identify the host factors required for maintaining the transformed phenotype of MDV tumour cell lines |
| Description | Herpesviruses are large dsDNA viruses that cause widespread, lifelong latent infections in different hosts, through multiple virus-host interactions to create a delicate balance between the virus and the host. CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing is emerging as a powerful tool to investigate the precise determinants of latency in a number of herpesvirus infections. Marek's disease virus (MDV-1) is a lymphotropic a-herpesvirus associated with latent infections and malignant CD4+ T-cell lymphomas in chicken. MDV-1 has a two-phase life cycle, consisting of a lytic and a latent phase, the latter closely associated with the oncogenesis of the virus, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms of cell transformation remain unclear. Better understanding of the factors that maintain the latency of the virus will provide insights into novel intervention strategies to interfere with the neoplastic process. We have used a high throughput genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 gene knockout strategy, combined with next generation sequencing to identify the genes critical for maintenance of the transformed phenotype. 339 host genes have been identified being essential for maintaining the transformed phenotype of MDV cell line. |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | Establishment of the pipeline of CRISPR library screening in chicken cell lines has given the opportunity for the identification factors associated with disease pathogenesis and neoplastic transformation. The identified genes could serve as targets for inducing de novo genetic resistance using gene editing approaches. |
| Title | Establishment of an efficient CRISPR/Cas9-based screening pipeline for herpesviruses to study the gene function and streamline the vector platform for recombinant vaccine development |
| Description | The development of both cosmid DNA and Bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) technologies has greatly facilitated the introduction of mutations into the viral genomes of herpesviruses to study gene functions. However, cloning of viral genomes as BAC plasmid and subsequent mutagenesis is inefficient, time-consuming and may introduce mutations by repeated passages. Following our success in efficient CRISPR/Cas9 editing of the MDV genome in both replicating virus and MDV transformed cell lines and of HVT genome for the recombinant vaccine development, we have developed an efficient CRISPR/Cas9-based screening pipeline for herpesviruses to identify the essential/non-essential genes for study of the gene function and streamline the vector platform for recombinant vaccine development. |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | Identification of essential and non-essential genes of herpesviruses provided opportunities to study gene function in vitro and in vivo. Knocking out the non-essential genes in the HVT vector can enhance HVT replication in vivo enabling recombinant HVT-based vaccines to induce stronger immune responses. |
| Title | Expression of IBV proteins for in vitro assays |
| Description | Non structural proteins 10, 14 and 16, both wildtype and sequences containing specific mutations, have been expressed and purified for use in assays in vitro. |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Year Produced | 2025 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The proteins have enabled us to assess the impact of specific mutations on the biological functions of the IBV non structural proteins |
| Title | Lateral flow detection of avian leukosis viruses and Reticuloendotheliosis virus |
| Description | The system for detecting ALV/REV based on CRISPR-Cas13a, a SHERLOCK reaction system consists of specific RPA primers for amplifying target nucleic acid fragments, Cas13a protein, crRNA, and Lateral flow chromatography test strip for visualized display of results. The assay started with pre-amplification of either a DNA or RNA target input. Amplified targets are then converted to RNA via T7 transcription and detected by Cas13-crRNA complexes, which activate and cleave fluorescent RNA reporters based on its collateral cleavage nature. The result can be visualized using colorimetric lateral flow reaction. The test is rapid, sensitive and specific for detection of ALV/REV at 37°C. The product can commercialized with a great clinical application prospects. |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The early identi?cation and removal of virus-shedding birds are essential to reduce the transmission. This rapid, simple-to-use and cost effective on-site diagnostic method will aid the eradication of ALV/REV in the affected area. |
| Title | Probe enrichment for whole genome sequencing of Infectious bronchitis virus serotypes from in vivo tissue samples |
| Description | This is a method for the whole genome sequencing of Infectious Bronchitis virus from in vivo tissue samples. Samples suitable for processing with this method contain a sample matrix with a high host nucleic acid background and low viral load, making it difficult to generate a whole genome sequence using traditional mRNA enrichment based methods. This involves a number of overlapping probes designed to multiple serotypes of IBV which hybridise and enrich for viral derived libraries in the latter stage of the library preparation process. |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | We look to publish this method and make it available to other investigators in the field. This tool makes generating whole viral genome from in vivo samples reliable and robust, and will have a beneficial impact upon the use of animals in such experiments, by maximizing the value of these samples. |
| Title | Sample sets taken from chickens vaccinated with M41-SK vaccine candidate and used to determine protective efficacy of the vaccine. |
| Description | A large number of samples were taken from birds involved in a study exploring the protective efficacy of a candidate live attenuated vaccine virus for IBV (M41-SK). |
| Type Of Material | Biological samples |
| Year Produced | 2025 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | This will provide a unique set of samples for determine factors important for the infection of avian coronaviruses in poultry. Samples from this study were used to perform single cell RNA-Seq, which has been analysed to identify those cell types important in the trachea during infection with the virus. This cell annotation tool will be an important resource for future transcriptomic studies where cell types will require identifying based upon gene expression. We also developed a method to process chicken trachea using samples from this study. |
| Title | Samples harvested from uninfected chickens and chickens infected with different strains of IBV |
| Description | We have a biobank of tissue samples harvested from chickens infected with different strains of IBV at different times after infection. Matched samples are available from uninfected chickens. |
| Type Of Material | Biological samples |
| Year Produced | 2025 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The biobank of samples can be interrogated for different research questions including assessment of the host responses to avian coronavirus infection, the role of different genetic mutations on pathogenicity and viral evolution. |
| Title | The development of a cell markers for identifying different cell types present in a chicken trachea infected with IBV |
| Description | This is a datasets of cell markers that were derived from single cell RNA-Seq analysis performed on single cells processed from processed chicken trachea. This is based upon 10 mock chicken samples, 5 trachea's from birds infected with pathogenic IBV and 5 from chickens infected with viruses infected with an attenuated phenotype. |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Year Produced | 2025 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | This will be a valuable dataset that can be sued in conjunction with spatial transcriptomic datasets of chicken trachea to deconvolve data and identify which cell types are present based upon gene expression profiles. |
| Title | The establishment of an efficient pipeline for in situ CRISPR editing of the Marek's disease virus (MDV) genome in lymphoma-derived cell lines |
| Description | The lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) derived from MD lymphomas have served as valuable resources to study virus-host molecular interactions in transformed cells. However, detailed investigations into the functional role of different viral and host determinants in these cells have been difficult due to the lack of tools for in situ manipulation of viral/host genomes in MDV-transformed cell lines. Our recent success in efficient CRISPR/Cas9 editing of the MDV genome in LCLs has demonstrated the potential for targeted editing to dissect the regulatory pathways involved in latency, transformation, reactivation and lytic switch. |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Year Produced | 2018 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Using this approach, we have demonstrated viral genes such as pp38 and MDV-miR-M4 are not essential for maintaining the transformed phenotype. On the other hand, deletion of MDV-encoded oncogene Meq or mutations preventing its interactions resulted in cell death demonstrating the essential role of Meq in transformation. |
| URL | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/10/6/279 |
| Title | qPCR assay to assess levels of sgmRNAs produced during IBV infection |
| Description | Primers and probes have been developed for a qPCR assay to analyse the levels of different sgmRNAs produced during infection with different strains of IBV. |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Year Produced | 2026 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | We are able to investigate whether active viral replication is occurring within samples taken from different tissues from birds infected with IBV. We are also able to assess the effect of specific mutations to the viral genome on the production of different sub-genomic mRNAs. |
| Title | scRNA seq analysis of porcine BAL |
| Description | We describe for the first time scRNA-seq analysis of porcine bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), a cell source increasingly used to analyse respiratory immune responses, and which has been shown to be major correlate for protection against respiratory infections such as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, and SARS-CoV-2. Our work reveals both similar and unique cell subsets and divergent transcriptome profiles of BAL immune cells compared to publicly available data from blood cells. |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The data we have generated will provide an atlas for future pig BAL scRNA-seq studies. |
| Title | Cryo-electron tomography datasets of infectious bronchitis virus replication organelles |
| Description | A cryo-electron tomography dataset of chicken DF1 cells infected with infectious bronchitis virus and plunge frozen to produce unfixed, near native samples. Lamella were milled using focussed ion beam milling and tomograms of replication organelles, as well as virus particles, within infected cells collected. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | This dataset is being incorporated into a manuscript for publication and is forming preliminary data for a followup project currently, with further funding applications planned. |
| Title | LSDV_PVG_paper_2025_Tables |
| Description | Tables for the 2025 paper on pangenome variation graphs in LSDV (lumpy skin disease virus) |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2025 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/LSDV_PVG_paper_2025_Tables/30509606 |
| Title | Panalyze |
| Description | Panalyze can make and analyse pangenome variation graphs (PVGs). This was mainly designed with virus genomes in mind. It takes in a FASTA file of related sequences and constructs a PVVG from them using PGGB. It visualises the PVG using VG and ODGI, and summarises it numerically using GFAtools and ODGI. It calculates PVG openness using Panacus, Pangrowth and ODGI's heaps function. It gets the sample genome sizes and allocates them into communities (ie, groups) based on similarity. It identifies mutations in the form of VCFs using GFAutil and gets presence-absence variants (PAVs). It has a range of optional functions, like downloading a query to create the input FASTA, and using the BUSCO database to quantify the numbers of genes in the samples of interest. |
| Type Of Material | Data analysis technique |
| Year Produced | 2025 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | This is being applied to LSDV, SPPV and GTPV genetic data. |
| URL | https://github.com/downingtim/LSDV-PVG/ |
| Title | Spatial transcriptomics of Chicken trachea infected with Infectious bronchitis virus to identify transcriptomic signatures |
| Description | Rhode Island Red SPF chickens were infected with M41-CK (a cell culture adapted pathogenic IBV virus) to investogate the evolution of the virus in chickens after infection, and compare with live attenuated vaccine versions of the same virus. Illumina sequence datasets were piped into the 10X proprietary analysis pipeline 'Space Ranger' for reads alignments, feature barcode matrices generation and secondary analysis including clustering and differential gene expression. Outputs from Space Ranger consisting of tissue images, tissue positions and feature barcode matrix were further piped into previously published R-based spatial pipeline 'Giotto' (Dries et al, 2021) for detailed analysis such as dimensionality reduction, co-visualization of gene expression and spatial location, cell type marker gene detection, spatial structure analysis, spatial gene co-expression patterns, etc. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | The dataset will have impact for other research groups investigating avian coronavirus vaccines. They will also have a broader impact and be of interest to wider coronavirus vaccine development and research thorough the information on vaccine evolution and host response. The datasets will be of interest to persons within the field of spatial biology field, notably the software developers and bioinformaticians, as a dataset to test new models and algorithms. The results will be of interest specifically for those in industry who are involved in developing novel and more rational strategies for developing vaccines. |
| Description | "BSL4ZNet (Biosafety Level 4 Zoonotic Laboratory Network)" |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Pirbright (AW) is a Co-chair of the BSL4ZNet Institutional Cooperation Working Group and the Biosafety Community of Practice under that group - part of the work of the BSL4ZNet consortium Ongoing input & support to various international work groups and developments in biorisk management |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. Ongoing input & support to various international work groups and developments in biorisk management |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | "BSL4ZNet (Biosafety Level 4 Zoonotic Laboratory Network)" |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Pirbright (AW) is a Steering Committee member of BSL4ZNet - a consortium of high containment facilities in these Five Eyes countries - with various biorisk work groups and workstreams that Pirbright contributes to Ongoing input & support to various international work groups and developments in biorisk management |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. Ongoing input & support to various international work groups and developments in biorisk management |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | "Wellcome Sanger Institute & Norwich BioSciences Institutes" |
| Organisation | Wellcome Sanger Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Scientific Computing leads from Sanger & NBI carried out a peer review exercise of Scientific Computing at Pirbright, facilitated by AW, leading to extensive sharing of best practice |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. Collaborative sharing of Pirbright expertise & best practice Q1 2025/26 |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | 1000 Aedes Genomes Project |
| Organisation | Hasanuddin University |
| Country | Indonesia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We provided intellectual input and access to field sites for the sequencing of mosquito genomes from natural populations. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partners provided expertise, intellectual input, resources, and training for the collection of mosquito samples and whole genome sequencing, assembly and annotation. |
| Impact | Genome sequences from mosquito populations. Output DOIs: 10.1186/s13071-024-06158-z 10.1101/2023.11.21.568070 10.1002/ece3.71009 10.1126/science.ads3732 |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | 1000 Aedes Genomes Project |
| Organisation | Verily Life Sciences LLC |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We provided intellectual input and access to field sites for the sequencing of mosquito genomes from natural populations. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partners provided expertise, intellectual input, resources, and training for the collection of mosquito samples and whole genome sequencing, assembly and annotation. |
| Impact | Genome sequences from mosquito populations. Output DOIs: 10.1186/s13071-024-06158-z 10.1101/2023.11.21.568070 10.1002/ece3.71009 10.1126/science.ads3732 |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | AWE Nuclear Security Technologies - Safety function |
| Organisation | Atomic Weapons Establishment |
| Department | National Nuclear Security Programme |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | key safety leads from AWE visited Pirbright for a knowledge exchange exercise in areas of process safety and major hazard leadership |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. Ongoing collaborative sharing of Pirbright expertise & best practice |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Akt inhibitors |
| Organisation | University of Castile-La Mancha |
| Country | Spain |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We provided facilities, equipment, expertise and intellectual input for the study of Zika virus infection in mosquito cells. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partners brought their expertise and intellectual input on the role of Akt inhibitors on Zika virus infection. |
| Impact | Akt inhibitors were shown to impact Zika virus infection both in human and mosquito cells, defining a conserved role for Akt signalling in Zika virus infection in both the human host and insect vector. Output associated with this collaboration: DOI 10.1016/j.virusres.2024.199447 |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Andrew Davidson - Proteome of viral replication organelles |
| Organisation | University of Bristol |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Projects are being initiated to study the cellular proteins associated with coronavirus replication organelle membranes and a funding application has been submitted to BBSRC. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Andrew has provided assistance with experimental planning and drafting of a grant application. He has also provided protocols to allow preliminary data to be generated. Once protocols have been established, Andrew will facilitate mass spectrometry data generation and will analyse the resulting data. |
| Impact | No outcomes to date, projects being initiated and funding applications in progress. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Animal Services collaborated with the National Centre for 3Rs (NC3Rs) through the development of their "ARRIVE study plan". |
| Organisation | National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Following on from the NC3Rs visit to the Institute in May 2024, they reached back out in June 2024 to advise that they were developing 'ARRIVE study plans'. Having briefly seen our Animal Request form whilst on their tour of Biggs, they advised that this is more extensive than study forms viewed elsewhere and that there is a lot of crossover between what they are trying to do and what we already have in place. Three members of Animal Services met with NC3Rs in June 2024 to go through this in more detail and also discussed the wider process including pre-meets and wash-ups. The ARRIVE study plan was subsequently launched in October 2024 and the NC3Rs got back in touch to thank us for being involved in the development of this. They noted that they were organizing a webinar for the end of January 2025 that will talk about the ARRIVE study plan, a bit of a how to use guide and the benefits of this resource. They also invited us to speak about the Animal Request form, and said when we talked it was clear that we already included a lot of the information they were asking for and that the form is seen very positively at Pirbright. A member of the team presented at the webinar with 218 people in attendance. |
| Collaborator Contribution | We talked through our Animal Request form in detail with the NC3Rs along with the wider circulation/approval process which helped inform their own ARRIVE study plan. The subsequent presentation at the webinar was attended by 218 people and also available on the NC3Rs website to access at a later date. |
| Impact | The ARRIVE study plan was launched and a webinar is available for anyone to access |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Antibody variable regions sequencing from non-viable hybridomas |
| Organisation | Mississippi State University |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Sequence antibody variable regions from genomic DNA and cDNA of non-viable hybridomas |
| Collaborator Contribution | Shared DNA, RNA, cells, ascites for 8 anti-cattle IgE hybridomas for sequencing |
| Impact | No outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Arbovirus reverse genetics systems (AM) |
| Organisation | University of Tartu |
| Country | Estonia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We brought our expertise in flaviviruses, in particular emerging flaviviruses including Zika virus and Alkhumra haemorrhagic fever virus. We also brought our expertise in high containtment virology up to ACDP Hazard Group 3, SAPO3 and Schedule 5 for molecularly characterising recombinant viruses. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The partner brought their expertise in making viral reverse genetics systems for dissecting the function of viral proteins. |
| Impact | A number of reverse genetics systems for flaviviruses have been generated, which are allowing us to interrogate questions about how viruses jump between host and vector species. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | BRPS |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Delivering training on an acredited training scheme |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Impact | Delivering training |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Biorisk Strategic Leadership Group meeting + workshop |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | am meeting at APHA Weybridge with presentations on OT cyber security & new UK high containment facility projects key current topics + pm Pirbright expert-led workshop on design, construction, commissioning & validation of new high containment facilities |
| Collaborator Contribution | the expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Biorisk Strategic Leadership Group meeting + workshop |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | am meeting at Pirbright with presentations on key current topics + pm expert-led workshop on Human Factors Ongoing coordination of sector-wide strategic leadership group on biorisk |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. Ongoing coordination of sector-wide strategic leadership group on biorisk |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Boehringer Ingelhiem |
| Organisation | Boehringer Ingelheim |
| Department | Boehringer Ingelheim UK |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2026 |
| Description | CL4 Users |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | UK working group for BSOs of CL4 Facilities. Sarah is Secretary |
| Collaborator Contribution | UK working group for BSOs of CL4 Facilities. Sarah is Secretary |
| Impact | Quarterly Meetings with ongoing results - Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | CL4 Users |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Development of Safety Performance Indicators across the high containment sector. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2026 |
| Description | Cambridge |
| Organisation | University of Cambridge |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Collaborative research on epitope display systems and use of functional genetic screens. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Collaborative research on epitope display systems and use of functional genetic screens. |
| Impact | Collaborative research on epitope display systems and use of functional genetic screens. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Chris Hill |
| Organisation | University of York |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Co supervise a PhD student with Chris Hill at teh University of York |
| Collaborator Contribution | Contribute 50% costs for 3.5 year PhD studentship |
| Impact | Multidisciplinary- exploit virus infection and biophysical assays |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Collaboration with APHA around poultry research |
| Organisation | Animal and Plant Health Agency |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Animal Services Poultry team are now attendees and contribute to the APHA Poultry Users Team meetings - these are welfare driven discussions for all aspects of poultry in research allowing both organisations to discuss refinements, issues and solutions. |
| Collaborator Contribution | APHA host the Poultry Users team meetings with information shared openly and transparently |
| Impact | Refinements are shared |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Collaboration with Aberdeen on cattle B cell phenotyping |
| Organisation | University of Aberdeen |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Hosting an intern (HB) on the development of protocols to phenotype cattle B cells. |
| Collaborator Contribution | None |
| Impact | A set of antibodies raised in other species validated for cattle B cell phenotyping |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Collaboration with Dr Dalan Bailey |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Co supervise a PhD student funded by the Department of Pathology at University of Cambridge and the Pirbright Institute. We will train the student in examine protein-RNA interactions that regulate innate immune signalling and antiviral control in livestock species. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr Bailey will train the student to handle viruses of livestock and examine viral replication kinetics and how these are controlled by specific innate immune effectors. |
| Impact | Training of a postgraduate student in highly specialised skills to understand molecular virology. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Collaboration with Dr Daniel Mansur |
| Organisation | Federal University of Santa Catarina |
| Country | Brazil |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have produced viral protein expression plasmids that our collaborator has used in cell based experiments to investigate viral-host interactions. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our collaborator has used reagents we have made in the lab in cell based experiments to investigate viral-host interactions. |
| Impact | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29554348/, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32313955/ |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Collaboration with Dr Fanni Gergely |
| Organisation | University of Oxford |
| Department | Department of Biochemistry |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Previous collaboration and publication as co authors of a paper describing a role for Musashi 1 in microcephaly and Zika virus replication lead to a grant application. We were awarded a BBSRC project grant in 2020 to investigate how Musashi 1 enhances Zika virus replication. I am the PI and Dr Gergely is the CoI. My lab will investigate how viral translation and genome replication are affected by Musashi 1to determine the proteins overall influence on Zika virus replication. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr Gergely's group with generate mini-brain organdie cultures to investigate the role of Musashi 1 and Zika virus replication in a more physiologically relevant context. |
| Impact | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28572454/ |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Collaboration with Dr Kevin Maringer |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We are providing expertise in RNA synthesis and modification and protein-RNA interaction analysis. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr Maringer's group are providing expertise in cell culture manipulation. |
| Impact | Multidisciplinary: Virus-host interactions, innate immunity, biochemistry, molecular biology |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Collaboration with Kansas State University to seuence their hybridomas collection |
| Organisation | Kansas State University |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Sequenced 6 hybridomas anti-viral hybridomas |
| Collaborator Contribution | Contributed their hybridomas to our Antibody sequencing project and agreed to to share these reagents with wider research community |
| Impact | Preservation of important reagents as sequences, and accessible for wider research community |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Collaboration with Prof Nicolas Locker on dengue virus/eIF3 translation mechanism |
| Organisation | University of Surrey |
| Department | Department of Biochemical Sciences |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | In vitro reconstitution of translation initiation on Dengue virus RNA for biochemical and structural analysis. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Map interaction of eIF3 with dengue virus RNA using biochemical methods. Use cell based assays to investigate maintenance of viral translation in infected cells. |
| Impact | Published a peer reviewed research article (Sanford et al, 2019) on which both labs are listed as authors describing in vitro reconstitution on different flavivirus RNAs including Zika virus and dengue virus. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Collaboration with Roslin Institute |
| Organisation | University of Edinburgh |
| Department | The Roslin Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have contributed virology expertise and recombinant viruses expressing split GFP |
| Collaborator Contribution | Antiviral immune responses have been assessed in tissues harvested from virus-infected birds using the Roslin's 96x96 qPCR Fluidigm. |
| Impact | We have a manuscript in preparation including results generated through this collaboration |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Collaboration with STRUBI |
| Organisation | University of Oxford |
| Department | Division of Structural Biology |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have discovered cross-specific antibodies recognising several FMDV serotypes. |
| Collaborator Contribution | STRUBI is performing structural work for cross-serotype epitope discovery. |
| Impact | The discovery of a cross-specific epitope across multiple FMDV serotypes |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Collaboration with Sophia Antipolis University (France) |
| Organisation | University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Hosting a student (TF) to train them in bioinformatics and genomics. |
| Collaborator Contribution | None. |
| Impact | Transfer of knowledge in bioinformatics. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Collaboration with UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS to seuence their hybridomas collection |
| Organisation | University of St Andrews |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Sequenced 65 anti-Para influenza hybridomas |
| Collaborator Contribution | Contributed their hybridomas to our Antibody sequencing project and agreed to to share these reagents with wider research community |
| Impact | Preservation of important reagents as sequences, and made these accessible for wider research community |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Collaboration with USDA to seuence anti-pig immune protein hybridomas |
| Organisation | U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Sequenced 62 mouse anti-pig immune protein hybridomas. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Shared hybridomas for sequencing and agreed to post availbility of these recombinant antibodies on immunological toolbox website |
| Impact | Preservation of important immune reagents as sequences, which will also faciliate sharing of these reagents. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Collaboration with University of Bath (UK) |
| Organisation | University of Bath |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Training of an intern on cattle antibody characterization. |
| Collaborator Contribution | none. |
| Impact | Understanding of antibody functions in cattle. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Collaboration with University of Bristol |
| Organisation | University of Bristol |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We are collaborating on a PhD studentship to investigate "Rational development of the next generation of vaccines for Infectious Bronchitis Virus". We have sourced the funding and are hosting the student. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partners at Bristol are supervising the PhD student and we have monthly meetings to discuss project progress. |
| Impact | None yet. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Collaboration with University of Cambridge |
| Organisation | University of Cambridge |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have performed in vitro experiments with infectious bronchitis virus, contributed to data analysis, preparation of manuscripts and discussed further funding opportunities. We are supervising two PhD students in the group. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partners have analysed viral transcription and translation, and host gene expression after infection of host cells with infectious bronchitis virus, prepared manuscripts and discussed further funding opportunities. They are supervising two PhD students in the group. |
| Impact | Dinan, A., Keep, S., Bickerton, E., Britton, P., Firth, A. and Brierley, I. (2019) Comparative analysis of gene expression in virulent and attenuated strains of infectious bronchitis virus at sub-codon resolution. J. Virol. 93(18) e00714-19. PhD studentship funding from The Pirbright Institute "Investigation of Canonical and Noncanonical Transcription during Coronavirus Replication" which commenced in 2021. PhD studentship funding from The Pirbright Institute 'Investigation of the role of the s2m motif in IBV replication and pathogenicity', which commenced in 2023. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Collaboration with University of Durham and The Babraham Institute on cattle B cell development and antibody repertoire generation |
| Organisation | Babraham Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Hosting a student (NKO) to study the development of B cells and the antibody repertoire generation and diversification in cattle. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Knowledge on B cell development and expertise on techniques to analyse antibody repertoires in human and mouse. Time of Babraham scientists was provided as in-kind contribution. |
| Impact | Optimized protocol for cattle antibody repertoire sequencing using PacBio platform. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Collaboration with University of Durham and The Babraham Institute on cattle B cell development and antibody repertoire generation |
| Organisation | Durham University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Hosting a student (NKO) to study the development of B cells and the antibody repertoire generation and diversification in cattle. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Knowledge on B cell development and expertise on techniques to analyse antibody repertoires in human and mouse. Time of Babraham scientists was provided as in-kind contribution. |
| Impact | Optimized protocol for cattle antibody repertoire sequencing using PacBio platform. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Collaboration with University of Liverpool, LSTM and UKHSA on OROV vector competence |
| Organisation | Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Training staff in containment level 3, undertaking insect infections in CL3 with OROV, project management |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provided and maintained insect lines at Pirbright, helped optimise assays, project management |
| Impact | Further engagement with stakeholders in Central and South America and colleagues in Europe, WHO, CDC and ECDC. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Collaboration with University of Liverpool, LSTM and UKHSA on OROV vector competence |
| Organisation | UK Health Security Agency |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Training staff in containment level 3, undertaking insect infections in CL3 with OROV, project management |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provided and maintained insect lines at Pirbright, helped optimise assays, project management |
| Impact | Further engagement with stakeholders in Central and South America and colleagues in Europe, WHO, CDC and ECDC. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Collaboration with University of Liverpool, LSTM and UKHSA on OROV vector competence |
| Organisation | University of Liverpool |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Training staff in containment level 3, undertaking insect infections in CL3 with OROV, project management |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provided and maintained insect lines at Pirbright, helped optimise assays, project management |
| Impact | Further engagement with stakeholders in Central and South America and colleagues in Europe, WHO, CDC and ECDC. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Collaboration with UoS (UK) on bovine antibody heavy and light chains pairing |
| Organisation | University of Surrey |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We provided over 42K pairs of cattle antibody heavy and light natural pairs to UoS (NG, AO). |
| Collaborator Contribution | Modeling of cattle antibody heavy and light natural pairs from bulk antibody repertoires. Overheads have been waved from computational scientist contribution. |
| Impact | None yet. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Collaboration with WSU to seuence anti-bovine immune protein hybridomas |
| Organisation | Washington State University |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Sequenced 15 mouse anti-bovine immune protein hybridomas. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Shared hybridomas for sequenceing and agree to post availiity of these reagents as recombinant on the immunological toolbox website for wider community |
| Impact | Permanently secured these hynrdiomas as antibody sequences |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | DEFRA |
| Organisation | Department For Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (DEFRA) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Advice on incinerators in high containments - the expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2026 |
| Description | DSTL |
| Organisation | Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Advice given to High Containment Leads in respect of future development |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2026 |
| Description | Deepening our understanding of cross-species antibody response to H5Nx influenza viruses |
| Organisation | University of Nottingham |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Co-supervision of a PhD student. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Co-supervision of a PhD student. |
| Impact | Training and guiding of the student. |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Dr Yousuf Khan Stanford |
| Organisation | Stanford University |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Collaboration providing intellectual input, study design, data analysis, dissemination, experimental design, data acquisition |
| Collaborator Contribution | Collaboration providing intellectual input, study design, data analysis, dissemination, experimental design, data acquisition |
| Impact | In progress |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Dr. Brenda Murdoch |
| Organisation | University of Idaho |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Analysis of Bighorn immunogenetic diversity using T2T genomes |
| Collaborator Contribution | sequencing and assembly of long-read genome assemblies |
| Impact | None yet. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Dr. Giuseppe Maccari |
| Organisation | Toscana Life Sciences Foundation |
| Country | Italy |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Ruminant MHC diversity, nomenclature, and sequence analysis. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Ruminant MHC diversity, nomenclature, and sequence analysis. Curation of IPD-MHC. |
| Impact | Curation of ruminant MHC-I alleles in IPD-MHC. Manuscript (DOI): 10.1111/tan.14494 |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Dr. Manman Dai |
| Organisation | South China Agricultural University |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Provided knowledge and expertise on avian disease research |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provided knowledge and expertise on avian disease research |
| Impact | Two joint publications have been generated: 1. Dai M, Zhu S, An Z, You B, Li Z, Yao Y, Nair V, Liao M. Dissection of key factors correlating with H5N1 avian influenza virus driven inflammatory lung injury of chicken identified by single-cell analysis. PLoS Pathog. 2023 Oct 11;19(10):e1011685. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011685. eCollection 2023 Oct. 2. Dai M, Sun H, Zhao L, Wu Q, You B, Xu F, Liao J, Zhu S, Li Z, Yao Y, Nair V, Liao M. Duck CD8 + T Cell Response to H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus Infection In Vivo and In Vitro. J Immunol. 2022 Aug 8;ji2101147. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.2101147. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Dr. Timothy P. L. Smith |
| Organisation | U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA |
| Department | U.S. Meat Animal Research Center |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Analyses of ruminant genome assemblies |
| Collaborator Contribution | Sequencing and assembly of genomes |
| Impact | manuscripts (DOIs): 10.3168/jds.2020-19809; 10.1093/gigascience/giaa021; 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02302; 10.1007/s00251-017-1033-3; 10.1038/ng.3802; 10.1007/s00251-017-0973-y |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | Dstl (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory) |
| Organisation | Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | AW + MHRA director acted as expert advisers to a review workshop of Dstl's new H&S management system. Ongoing collaborative sharing of Pirbright expertise & best practice |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Dstl (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory) |
| Organisation | Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | AW + other Pirbright leads carried out a peer review exercise at Porton Down for Dstl of their new operational management structure Ongoing collaborative sharing of Pirbright expertise & best practice |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Dstl (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory) Defence National |
| Organisation | Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | key leads from the Dstl project for development of new high cointainment facilities at Porton Down visited Pirbright for a knowledge exchange exercise in areas of design, construction, commissioning & validation of new high containment facilities |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | EBSA |
| Organisation | European Biosafety Association |
| Country | Belgium |
| Sector | Learned Society |
| PI Contribution | Advice given on developing future use of the facility incorprating current international high and low containment bio-safety engineering and laboratory practices |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Effects of co-infections on Marek's disease in poultry, and development of novel recombinant Marek's disease virus vector vaccines |
| Organisation | Moy Park |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | This is a joint BBSRC funded project on investigation "Effects of co-infections on Marek's disease in poultry, and development of novel recombinant Marek's disease virus vector vaccines" between Pirbright, Moy Park and Slate Hall Veterinary Practice. Pirbright team works on the detailed investigation of prevalence of naturally occurring MDV-2 (Marek's disease virus serotype 2) infection in the field in UK; isolation and characterisation of MDV-2 field strains and development of novel MDV-2-based recombinant vaccine MDV2-IBD-ND which will protect chickens against Marek's disease, infectious bursal disease and Newcastle disease. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Moy Park will collect the field samples and investigate the effect of MDV-2 on flock productivity and disease. |
| Impact | Too early |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Exploiting mosquito immunity for generating refractory mosquitoes |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I brought my expertise in mosquito immunology and viral evasion of innate immune responses in vertebrates and invertebrates. I provided intellectual input into the project and provided training for three research assistants and one undergraduate placement student. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The partner (Luke Alphey, The Pirbright Institute) brought their expertise in mosquito transgenesis and molecular approaches to developing refractory mosquitoes that cannot transmit viruses. The partner also provided intellectual input into the project. |
| Impact | The following publications are associated with this collaboration: DOI: 10.3390/v13112116 |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Finn Frey |
| Organisation | University of Edinburgh |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Worked together to identify the host factors involved in MDV latency |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provided chicken gRNA library for screening of MDV cell line |
| Impact | Not yet |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Flavivirus microvascular pathogenesis |
| Organisation | University of Surrey |
| Department | Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I brought my expertise in dengue and virology, and had significant intellectual input into shaping the research question and methodological approach. I also directly contributed to the training of one shared MSc student, two shared PhD students and three undergraduate students who have contributed to this project so far. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The partner (Dr. Paola Campagnolo, University of Surrey) brought their expertise in cardiovascular biology and had significant intellectual input into shaping the research question and methodological approach. They also directly contributed to the training of one shared MSc student, one shared PhD student and three undergraduate students who have contributed to this project so far. |
| Impact | The collaboration has resulted in the following publications: DOI: 10.1128/mSphere.00258-20 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001634 DOI: 10.64898/2026.01.29.702573 This is an interdisciplinary collaboration. The disciplines are microbiology/virology (me) and cardiovascular biology (Dr. Paola Campagnolo, University of Surrey). |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | HDR |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Panel member for a webinar on Plowright: 10 years on |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Immunogenicity of FMDV VLPs bearing TT antigen |
| Organisation | University of Reading |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We are testing FMDV VLP-TT antigens in cattle for their immunogenicity. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Reading University have produced the mutant VLPs bearing the tetanus toxoid antigens (TT). |
| Impact | VLPs bearing tetanus toxoid antigen. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Imperial - Johnston |
| Organisation | Imperial College London |
| Department | Faculty of Medicine |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Collaboration on human rhinovirus experimental vaccines Co-Investigator on MRC project grant |
| Collaborator Contribution | Collaboration on human rhinovirus experimental vaccines Co-Investigator on MRC project grant |
| Impact | MRC project grant |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Intern supervision (2025) |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Supervision of intern project Sept 2024 to Aug 2025. Supporting training & research. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Internal partners only |
| Impact | Ongoing work that will be published this year |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Joint PhD project on "Exploring ultrastructural features of the virus-host interactions of MDV" |
| Organisation | Diamond Light Source |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Pirbright team provided expertise on MDV biology part of the project. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Diamond team provided expertise on using the state-of-the-art tools to gain structural biology insights into the distinct features of MDV-host cell interactions. |
| Impact | No outputs yet. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Joint PhD project on "Using Marek's Disease Virus to understand the RNA world of alphaherpesviruses" |
| Organisation | University of Surrey |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Surrey team has provided expertise on characterization of Marek's disease virus encoded vhs protein function in vitro. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Pirbright team has provided expertise in making the mutant virus of vhs deleted MDV and study the role of vhs in the context of infection in vitro and in vivo. |
| Impact | The student Sophie Cutts has abstract accepted for oral presentation in both Microbiology Society Annual Conference 2024 to be held in Edinburgh 8-11 April and 14th International Symposium on Marek's Disease and Avian Herpesvirus to be held at St. Louis, USA from 12th-14th July, 2024. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | MHRA |
| Organisation | Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Advice on drainage in high containment |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2026 |
| Description | MSc student supervision (Jan 2026 - July 2026) |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Lidia Dykes supervised a MSc student from Jan 2026 to July 2026 (Madina). She provided training, guidance and advice on Madina's work and thesis. |
| Collaborator Contribution | As above |
| Impact | Training & development of a MSc student in bioinformatics and virology. |
| Start Year | 2026 |
| Description | Maria Harkiolaki - soft xray tomography |
| Organisation | Diamond Light Source |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The project aims to characterise coronavirus replication organelles in whole infected cells. My team provides significant experience in coronavirus replication organelles. The project is funded by a joint studentship and the student is, predominantly based in my laboratory. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Maria's team provide extensive expertise in soft Xray tomography and are advising on experimental design and dat aanalysis. |
| Impact | Preliminary experiments have been performed to visualise replication organelle membranes. Optimisation of experimental set up is underway. |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Martin Turner - The role of cellular RNA binding proteins in Coronavirus replication |
| Organisation | Babraham Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | My lab has begun to establish the use of a CRISPR library targeting cellular RNA binding proteins. This includes selecting the most appropriate cells, virus and conditions for the screen and the readout method and this is based on our expertise and experience in coronavirus biology. All experimental work for the collaboration has been performed in my laboratory. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Martin Turner has provided a CRISPR knockout library targeting human and murine RNA binding proteins. He has provided advice and protocols to allow us to establish the screen using human or murine coronaviruses and will advise on analysis of data following the screen. |
| Impact | Experiments are still in initial set up stages and no results have been generated to date. |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Mosquito reagent development |
| Organisation | ProImmune |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Expertise and intellectual input into the identification and validation of targets to develop ankyrons as novel tools for molecular studies in mosquitoes. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Expertise, intellectual input and facilities for the production of ankyrons against mosquito proteins. |
| Impact | Ankyrons were developed that have been made available to the research community to facilitate research into mosquito molecular biology with the aim of preventing the spread and emergence of mosquito-borne diseases. These reagents are available for purchase through the company website (www.proimmune.com) and are published in DOI: 10.1101/2025.11.06.687020. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | New tools to study LDV |
| Organisation | University of Wisconsin-Madison |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Provided recombinant monoclonal antibodies specific to LDV |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provided recombinant reporter LDV and genetic tools to engineer an LDV susceptible cell line |
| Impact | None yet. |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | OXFORD BBSRC-NERC Interdisciplinary Life and Environmental Sciences Landscape Award (ILESLA) |
| Organisation | Diamond Light Source |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Project Co-Lead on Oxford ILESLA doctoral training programme funded by BBSRC-NERC. Co wrote the funding application. Act as theme lead for animal and human health. Part of management committee. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Co manage programme. Deliver training. |
| Impact | Multidisciplinary- funded by BBSRC and NERC |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | OXFORD BBSRC-NERC Interdisciplinary Life and Environmental Sciences Landscape Award (ILESLA) |
| Organisation | Open University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Project Co-Lead on Oxford ILESLA doctoral training programme funded by BBSRC-NERC. Co wrote the funding application. Act as theme lead for animal and human health. Part of management committee. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Co manage programme. Deliver training. |
| Impact | Multidisciplinary- funded by BBSRC and NERC |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | OXFORD BBSRC-NERC Interdisciplinary Life and Environmental Sciences Landscape Award (ILESLA) |
| Organisation | Oxford Brookes University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Project Co-Lead on Oxford ILESLA doctoral training programme funded by BBSRC-NERC. Co wrote the funding application. Act as theme lead for animal and human health. Part of management committee. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Co manage programme. Deliver training. |
| Impact | Multidisciplinary- funded by BBSRC and NERC |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | OXFORD BBSRC-NERC Interdisciplinary Life and Environmental Sciences Landscape Award (ILESLA) |
| Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
| Department | ISIS Neutron and Muon Source |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Project Co-Lead on Oxford ILESLA doctoral training programme funded by BBSRC-NERC. Co wrote the funding application. Act as theme lead for animal and human health. Part of management committee. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Co manage programme. Deliver training. |
| Impact | Multidisciplinary- funded by BBSRC and NERC |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | OXFORD BBSRC-NERC Interdisciplinary Life and Environmental Sciences Landscape Award (ILESLA) |
| Organisation | University of Oxford |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Project Co-Lead on Oxford ILESLA doctoral training programme funded by BBSRC-NERC. Co wrote the funding application. Act as theme lead for animal and human health. Part of management committee. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Co manage programme. Deliver training. |
| Impact | Multidisciplinary- funded by BBSRC and NERC |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Oxford - Strubi |
| Organisation | University of Oxford |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Collaboration on virus structural biology and joint PhD studentship |
| Collaborator Contribution | Collaboration on virus structural biology and joint PhD studentship |
| Impact | Collaboration on virus structural biology has produced a number of novel virus structures and new understanding of virus entry and packaging |
| Start Year | 2008 |
| Description | Poultry Health Training Course |
| Organisation | University of Surrey |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Pirbright provided expertise to develop and deliver a training course related to poultry health. Additionally Pirbright provided access to facilities and logistical support. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The University of Surrey provided access to their facilities and experts to support the delivery of the Poultry Health course. |
| Impact | 24 veterinarians attended the course (including 3 on a bursary), improving their knowledge of common poultry diseases. clinical signs and symptoms, biosecurity, and diagnostic and post-mortem processes. After completion learners were advised to join the LinkedIn user group which contains members from past poultry health courses furthering their knowledge. |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Precision cut tissue slices to study early immune responses and viral replication |
| Organisation | Royal Veterinary College (RVC) |
| Department | Pathobiology and Population Sciences |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Precision cut tissue slices (PCTS) from porcine lymph nodes and tonsils are prepared with support from the collaborators at RVC, transported to Pirbright and infected with either African swine fever virus (ASFV), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) or foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV). |
| Collaborator Contribution | Collaborators at the RVC provide the infrastructure to prepare PCTS and provide training on the tissue slicing process. |
| Impact | Aim of the project is to establish methodology and workflow to infect cells types permissive for these viruses and measure the innate immune response in the local tissue microenvironment. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Process Safety Forum |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Pirbright (AW) is represents BSLG (see entry on this) at the Process Safety Forum, facilitating knowledge exchange for bioeconomy sector with other Major Hazard sectors |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Impact | Too early to assess - Ongoing dialogue and developments with other Major Hazard sectors such as oil & gas, process chemicals, explosives, nuclear, rail in the specific areas of Process Safety |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Protecting Bees collaboration |
| Organisation | University of Liverpool |
| Department | Faculty of Health and Life Sciences |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Collaboration on bee cell culture and effect of Wolbachia infection on susceptibility of cells to bee viruses |
| Collaborator Contribution | Collaboration on bee cell culture and effect of Wolbachia infection on susceptibility of cells to bee viruses |
| Impact | Collaboration on bee cell culture and effect of Wolbachia infection on susceptibility of cells to bee viruses |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Protecting Bees collaboration |
| Organisation | University of York |
| Department | Department of Biology |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Collaboration on bee cell culture and effect of Wolbachia infection on susceptibility of cells to bee viruses |
| Collaborator Contribution | Collaboration on bee cell culture and effect of Wolbachia infection on susceptibility of cells to bee viruses |
| Impact | Collaboration on bee cell culture and effect of Wolbachia infection on susceptibility of cells to bee viruses |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Royal Society of Biology |
| Organisation | Royal Society of Biology (RSB) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Discussions on biosafety and changes to legislation/working practices Attend workshop on Biosafety - Invited |
| Collaborator Contribution | Attend workshop on Biosafety - Invited |
| Impact | Advised on changes to legislation/working practices |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Royal Society of Biology Professional registrations |
| Organisation | Royal Society of Biology (RSB) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Working with RSB and several other key bioeconomy organisations to raise standards and status of biorisk advisers across whole sector |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Sciensano |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | "Advice on facility design - Plowright and Brooksby Advice on CL3 operational management and control" |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Screening and validation of existing reagents against Pig IgGs and IgA proteins |
| Organisation | The Statens Serum Institute (SSI) |
| Country | Denmark |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Provided pig IgGs (8 different IgG subclasses) and IgA proteins for this project |
| Collaborator Contribution | Tested various avaialable 2ndry reagents for their specificity against pig IgG and IgA |
| Impact | Confirmed cross-reactivity of commerciallly avaialble antibodies between pig IgG and IgA, which were originally cliamed specific for corressponding antibody class. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Stathis Giotis - Bat immunity and differential gene expression |
| Organisation | University of Essex |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| PI Contribution | The project aims to understand the role of viral regulation of innate immune signalling in coronavirus cross-species transmission, My research team provides expertise in coronavirus biology and host cell interaction, including reverse genetics. Laboratory experiments associated with this project are conducted by my team. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Stathis has provided bat cells and bat interferon reporter plasmids, as well as advice and expertise, to perform experiments. He will also perform data analysis of planned experiments to interrogate differential gene expression of cells infected with different viruses. |
| Impact | To early in the project to say. |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Stem-cells as a tool to understand host-pathogen interactions |
| Organisation | University of Edinburgh |
| Department | The Roslin Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have provided expertise on African swine fever virus. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Roslin have provided expertise in stem-cell culture and differentiation into relevant cell types |
| Impact | Multi-disciplinary: Virology (Pirbright) and Precision Engineering (Roslin). Outputs: EUPAHW Funding |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Tim Harvey-Samuel |
| Organisation | Keele University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Lead project exploiting insect transgenesis to study vector host interaction |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provide expert guidance on insect transgenesis |
| Impact | Multidisciplinary- combines molecular virology with insect transgenesis |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Transfer of methods and reagents from Munich University |
| Organisation | Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU Munich) |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We hosted a collaborator. |
| Collaborator Contribution | A postdoctoral scientist visited Pirbright to help us set ELISpot and flow cytometry assay to characterise flu-specific B cells in chicken. They also helped us identify lymphoid organs in chicken, and provided reagents for the assays. |
| Impact | A flow cytometry panel and an ELISpot protocols to identify influenza-specific B cells in chicken. |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | UKHSA |
| Organisation | UK Health Security Agency |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Co-hosted Brooksby tour with advice given |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | UKHSA |
| Organisation | UK Health Security Agency |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Bio Security Team sharing of best practice |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | UKHSA |
| Organisation | UK Health Security Agency |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Advice on CL3 operational management and control |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2026 |
| Description | UKHSA |
| Organisation | UK Health Security Agency |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2026 |
| Description | Understanding the genetic resistant to Marek's disease |
| Organisation | University of Surrey |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have provided the sequencing data of resistant and susceptible inbred chicken lines and crosses to be analyzed using AI for understanding the genetic resistant to Marek's disease. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The collaborators contribution is to use AI for analysis to explore the determinants associated with the distinct resistance phenotype. |
| Impact | Publication: 10.1016/j.psj.2025.106311 |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | University of Surrey |
| Organisation | University of Surrey |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | "Advice & discussion on low containment topics: Material transfers Site Access Autoclaves at CL2 CL2 training & supervision" |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | WBVR |
| Organisation | Wageningen University & Research |
| Department | Wageningen Economic Research (WECR) |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Advice on CL3 operational management and control |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2026 |
| Description | WBVR |
| Organisation | Wageningen University & Research |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The expertise, intellectual input or the training of staff. |
| Impact | Too early to assess |
| Start Year | 2026 |
| Description | Zika virus multi-omics |
| Organisation | University of Southampton |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I and my team members facilitated access to The Pirbright Institute facilities and equipment for Zika virus infections and provided staff training to external visiting scientists to allow them to perform virology studies at the institute. I provided scientific expertise and intellectual input for multi-omics studies of Zika virus infection in cancer cells. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The partners brought expertise and provided intellectual input on cancer and multi-omics studies. They brought pre-existing data and contributed to ongoing data analysis. |
| Impact | Research outcomes are a multi-omics analysis of Zika virus infected cells that could inform the development of novel cancer therapies. Manuscript DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-97804-8 This collaboration is multi-disciplinary (oncology, omics, virology). |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Title | Linux |
| Description | Linux devices |
| Type Of Technology | Physical Model/Kit |
| Year Produced | 2025 |
| Impact | CAPABILITY: Effective scientific computing requires high computational power, high memory usage and a Linux environment. The proposed computers have numerous cores, capability to do GPU computation, and a large amount of memory as well as disk space. Therefore, these computers offer a more suitable and efficient computing environment in which to do analyses and synchronise more effectively with the institute's high-performance computing (HPC) servers which also run on Linux. These machines will complement the institute's bioinformatics HPC server. The HPC is not built with the ability to visualize data analyses and lacks GPU computation. The proposed laptops have these capabilities and with their ability to natively connect to the HPC will form a complete system for analysing and visualizing data. These laptops also have the power to analyze reasonably large datasets locally and will be useful during downtimes of the HPC to avoid disruption of work and increase productivity. The laptops help the Bioinformatics STP achieve key ISP goals using omics data, such as integrating cutting-edge technologies like single-cell RNA sequencing with spatial transcriptomics. This aligns with BBSRC's Forward Look for Bioscience themes, supporting data-rich and intensive bioscience approaches and developing novel computational tools and algorithms. CONNECTIVITY: Helps with data transfers to and from the institute. Transfers with platforms like globus and aspera are not supported in Windows due to firewall restrictions. The underlying framework for connecting laptops to the institute's resources can be used to provide access to visitors using Linux environments. Can be used to connect with computational resources that are blocked due to firewall and security policies in Windows environment, such as access to CRAN, github, conda. Easier to collaborate within group and externally due to Linux's a rich tool set for version control (git), reproducible research (nextflow, snakemake), IDEs and languages (python, C, R, prolog), which cannot be easily replicated in a Windows environment. Allows more automated and efficient connections of these computers with external resources and websites, which can support the institute's standing within the scientific community. CULTURE: To become an institute promoting best practices in research culture, enabling scientific computing is essential. Scientific computing relies on having access to a Linux environment. There is diversity in the Bioinformatics STP's programming languages, computational environments and project development environments. Working in Windows restricts the STP to the limitations of what Windows provides. This severely limits the STP's potential because staff end up using alternative programming languages or seek sub-optimal solutions. Not having access to a scientific computing environment and sufficient computing resources will have an effect in progression of skills, as the users will be restricted to updates and software available from a limited catalogue and will not have the opportunity to keep updated with latest computing developments (such as tools to create containers for analysis sharing and supporting reproducibility). This will result in the research stagnating. More effective collaboration and teamwork, because the same types of computer environments will be used by all Bioinformatics STP members. Linux computers are the most common operating system in bioinformatics, and so using them will make the institute a more attractive workplace to potential job candidates. |
| Title | Panalyze |
| Description | Panalyze can make and analyse pangenome variation graphs (PVGs). This was mainly designed with virus genomes in mind. It takes in a FASTA file of related sequences and constructs a PVG from them using PGGB. It visualises the PVG using VG and ODGI, and summarises it numerically using GFAtools and ODGI. It calculates PVG openness using Panacus, Pangrowth and ODGI's heaps function. It gets the sample genome sizes and allocates them into communities (ie, groups) based on similarity. It identifies mutations in the form of VCFs using GFAutil and gets presence-absence variants (PAVs). It has a range of optional functions, like downloading a query to create the input FASTA, and using the BUSCO database to quantify the numbers of genes in the samples of interest. |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2025 |
| Impact | It will be useful when analysing viral genomes |
| URL | https://github.com/downingtim/Panalyze |
| Description | A cross-reactive neutralising epitope of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Abigail Hay presented a talk at the 14th International Veterinary Immunology Symposium; 11-14 August 2025; Vienna, Austria. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Animal Services assistance with Poultry Health course 2025 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Billy Matthews, Jaimie Whyte and George Jackson ran a poultry workshop at the Poultry Health Course 2025 - this saw a mix of poultry experts see our own practices and opened up a variety of discussions and network opportunities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Assistance with BBC footage |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Billy Matthews hosted a BBC film crew within the Biggs Facility whilst they interviewed Tom Peacock for a short piece on the Great British Railway Journeys. Filming took place in an animal room and Billy assisted with the logistical elements. This led to a successful interview and some great footage of the birds in research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | BBC Horizon: Disease X |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The Head of Communications liaised with the BBC producers to shape the content of the interview based on Pirbright expertise and arranged the filming locations. The Communications department advised and directed the producers to align key messaging with Pirbright's research. We worked closely with the Director to storyboard the sequences shot at Pirbright and media trained Dr Thomas Peacock, a key international Avian Influenza academic based at Pirbright. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002jy6q |
| Description | BBC film crew hosted in Biggs |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A member of Animal Services hosted a videographer in The Biggs Facility for the development of a short film on STV BBC Horizon on avian influenza. Tom Peacock was interviewed inside an animal room whilst Billy Matthews assisted with the logistical elements. This led to a successful interview and some great footage of the birds in research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Bezos Methane |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | BBC Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt filmed a package for BBC News and the story appeared online in UK national sites, including The Telegraph, Mail Online, Daily Star, and specialist publications including Vet Times, Farmers Weekly and Agriland. An estimate 83% of coverage was positive: total AVE is estimated at £522,000. The total number of online clicks is estimated at just over 7bn (7,029,419,712). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://www.pirbright.ac.uk/news/global-quest-vaccine-cut-methane-cattle |
| Description | Bezos Methane |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The Communications department liaised with the Bezos Earth Fund to prepare the media strategy Pirbright would deliver for the UK and internationally. This enabled us to deliver a suite of media materials covering all aspects of the project for a range of audiences. Individual activities have been entered separately. This is an ongoing project that will deliver more media opportunities as it develops. An estimate 83% of coverage was positive: total AVE is estimated at £522,000. The total number of online clicks is estimated at just over 7bn (7,029,419,712). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Bunya2024 conference Poster presentation: "Decoding differential activity of native and recombinant type I interferons against Rift Valley fever virus infection." |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Poster presentation at the Bunya2024 conference in Leeds. One outcome of this conference was a satellite meeting on Oropouche virus and the establishment of several international OROV interest groups, one led by Pirbright. Further, funding was subsequently secured. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Careers event at Bishop David Brown School, Woking - MB |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | The event involved discussing a variety of careers including potential STEM jobs and wider opportunities at Pirbright with students in years 7-11. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Careers fair at University of Surrey |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Pirbright had a stall at the University of Surrey careers fair where undergraduate and postgraduate students spoke to us about placements, work experience and jobs in science, particularly at Pirbright. Several applications for internships from undergraduates at University of Surrey were received this year that mentioned that they had spoken to us at the careers fair and felt encouraged to apply, which was very positive. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Costello School Careers Fair |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Stand at a Secondary School Careers Fair - Manned a stand/spoke to students - Making links for on-going outreach |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Fox Corner Community Outreach |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Clearing the pond and non-native plant species and hay-raking fields for a local community wildlife area. Engaging with the local committee and sharing research with them and colleagues from across the Pirbright site. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Imperial College London |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | KM gave an invited seminar to a department of microbiology researchers at Imperial College London, including postgraduate students. The audience engaged with questions during the talk and a conference organiser grant was submitted due to this engagement. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | In-person Poultry Health Course |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A partnered course alongside The University of Surrey for an in person-training course for 24 participants (including 3 on bursary) involving over 20 lecturers from The Pirbright Institute, University of Surrey, University of Liverpool, University of Bristol, APHA, RVC, VMD, Crowshall vets, St Davids poultry team and Poultry health services. Attendees received lectures on key poultry viruses, bacteria and parasites as well as on welfare, performing field investigations and antimicrobial resistance. Practical sessions covered postmortem examination, diagnostic techniques for identification of viruses (real-time PCR and LAMP), bacteria (bacterial plating) and microscopy as well as group sessions on welfare and enrichment. The audience was composed of field veterinarians from government and private facilities, those working in vaccine manufacturing and international veterinarians as from India, Pakistan and Nigeria as part of their continued professional development (CPD). Two of those members were interested in starting a poultry arm to their business and were using the poultry health course as a starting position to gain knowledge and connections. One member was becoming the poultry lead in Scotland for APHA and was hoping to use the information gained to help other vets in their region. After completion learners are advised to join the LinkedIn user group which contains members from past poultry health courses furthering their knowledge. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Interview skills workshop, Ash Manor School - MB |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | The event involved coaching year 11 students in how to structure and conduct successful interviews. Interviewing them and following up with awareness of recruitment strategy to aid their skill development. Providing feedback to candidates after reading through their CV and application letters. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | MW gave a tour of Pirbright site for the B-Cell meeting attendees (2 batches ) this was organised by Selma Schmidt and Jane Edwards |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Highlighting the unique facilities of Pirbright |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Mental Health First Aid and Mind - Time to Talk Day 2024 (Pirbright) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Organised a stand that introduced the work of the Mental Health First Aiders at the Pirbright Institute in connection with the Mind - Time to Talk Day 2024. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.mind.org.uk/get-involved/time-to-talk-day-2024/ |
| Description | Mental Health First Aid and Mind - Time to talk day 2025 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Offering students and staff the opportunity to talk with the aim of fostering mental health and culture at Pirbright. Information provided about who the mental health first aiders at the institute are and what their role is. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Microbiology Society Annual Conference (Birmingham) - Poster presentation: Assessing the effect of inter-isolate variation on the function of RVFV virulence determinants. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Poster presentation at an international conference. The event included networking opportunities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Microbiology Society Annual Conference (Birmingham) - Poster presentation: Juvenile Hormone Analogue Enhances Rift Valley fever virus Infectivity in Aedes aegypti Aag2 Cells. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Poster presentation at an international conference. The event included networking opportunities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Microbiology Society Poster presentation "Decoding differential activity of native and recombinant type I interferons against Rift Valley fever virus infection" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Poster presentation at the Annual Conference in Edinburgh. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Oral presentation at 13th International Veterinary Immunology Symposium |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Project results presented to a highly interested and engaging audience of more than 200 scientists and students. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Oral presentation at Centre for Excellence for Research on Avian Diseases (CERAD) meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk entitled: The Pirbright Antibody Hub and Immunological Toolbox: Advancing livestock immunological research and vaccine development |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Oral presentation at Oxford-Pirbright joint B cell meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk entitled: "Decoding the cross-reactive humoral response to foot-and-mouth disease in cattle". |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Oral presentation at Oxford-Pirbright joint B cell meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk entitled, "The influence of the germline antibody loci on the warthog antibody repertoire" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Oral presentation at Oxford-Pirbright joint B cell meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk Entitled: The Pirbright Immunological Toolbox recombinant capability: Advancing Veterinary Immunology and Vaccinology Research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Oropouche virus interest group |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | I established an Oropouche virus interest group with members from the Americas, the UK and mainland Europe to discuss priority areas for research and joint funding applications. The group meets online every three months. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | PRIDE day event TPI - HM, ND, CH, YC, MB |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Stall presented describing recent research of the Coronavirus Cellular Biology group at the Pirbright Institute PRIDE event, celebrating Pirbright science and activites. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Pirbright Family Day (Pirbright) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Organised and presented at stands that displayed science activities in the research group, the high containment community and within science services (CCG CL3 Virology; insectaries). Informed public about science undertaken at the Institute. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Pirbright Village Fair 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This annual event, organised by Pirbright Parish Council and St. Michael & All Angels Church and hosted on the village green, offered an ideal occasion for the Institute to foster connections with the local community and ignite their interest in cutting-edge scientific research. The Institute's stall featured various engaging activities. Attendees, young and old had the opportunity to shake and reassemble virus models, swab Henrietta the hen to determine her health status, observe Culicoides nubeculosus midges in a display net, and examine midge larvae and pupae under a microscope for a closer inspection. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Pirbright village fair 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This annual event, organised by Pirbright Parish Council and St. Michael & All Angels Church and hosted on the village green, offered an ideal occasion for the Institute to foster connections with the local community and ignite their interest in cutting-edge scientific research. This year's theme was 'Around the World' and included stalls and activities to reflect as many different countries and cultures as possible. The Institute's stall featured various engaging activities. Attendees, young and old had the opportunity to shake and reassemble virus models, swab Henrietta the hen to determine her health status, observe Culicoides nubeculosus midges in a display net, and examine midge larvae and pupae under a microscope for a closer inspection. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://thebull.pirbright.ac.uk/Interact/Pages/Content/Document.aspx?id=7311&SearchId=208907 |
| Description | Poster and flash presentation at Microscience Microscopy Congress - PP |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 3 minute flask presentation and poster entitled "Correlative cryo-bioimaging to study coronavirus replication organelles" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Poster presentation at International Nidovirus Syposium 2023 - HM |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Poster entitled "Cross virus comparison of coronavirus proteins involved in replication organelle formation" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Poster presentation at Microbiology Society annual conference - YC |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Poster entitled "Development of a CRISPR/Cas9 GeCKO library screen to identify pro-viral cellular genes in chicken cells that can be exploited to control avian endemic viruses" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Poster presentation at The British Society for Immunology Congress |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | I presented a poster on the Pirbright immunological toolbox projects and activities, contibuting and adavancing the veterinary immunlogy. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Poster presentation at the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) annual national meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | A member of Animal Services presented a poster at the AALAS annual meeting on 'Enhancing poultry welfare and scientific outcomes through targeted husbandry improvements'. This meeting is a unique event in the sector, offering access to cutting-edge research, professional development workshops and valuable networking opportunities with up to 5000 attendees from across the globe. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://www.aalas.org/meeting/topics |
| Description | Poster presentation at the Vectorborne diseases in the UK meeting: "Decoding differential activity of native and recombinant type I interferons against Rift Valley fever virus infection." |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Poster presentation at the Vectorborne diseases in the UK meeting in Liverpool. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Presenation at the IVVN Annual Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of our Nipah and PRRSV vaccine research, which sparked questions and discussion afterwards |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Presentation at IVIS 2025 in Vienna, Austria |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | The talk highlighted progress in toolbox activities includind hybridoma sequencing initiative, expansion of recombinant antibody capabilities, and website revamp, whch followed discussion afterwards |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Presentation at International Nidovirus Symposium 2023 - PP |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 10 minute presentation entitled "Correlative cryo-bioimaging to study coronavirus replication organelles" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Presentation at Microbiology Society annual conference - PP |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 10 minute talk entitled "Correlative cryo-bioimaging to study coronavirus replication organelles" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Presentation at Microscience Microscopy Congress - HM |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Poster entitled "Cross virus comparison of coronavirus proteins involved in replication organelle formation" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Presentation at RIVR: "Rift Valley fever virus genotype - phenotype relationships" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at the annual RIVR (Recently independent virology researcher) meeting, which I am co-organising. This is to establish collaborations between recently appointed PIs and to foster career growth. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Presentation at UK-ICN ECR meeting - PP |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | 10 minute talk entitled "Structural studies of coronavirus replication organelles". |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Presentation at Vaccine Innovation Forum 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Presentation on our Nipah vaccine research, which sparked questions and discussion afterwards. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Presentation at the 8th UK-China CERAD Meeting in Lanzhou |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presented updates on the Immunological Toolbox capabilities and projects, including website which followed discussions on further engagement and shared opportunities for collaboration. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Presentation at the German Transparency Workshop on the Institute's openness on animal research approach |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | A member of Animal Services was invited to present at the German Transparency Workshop on the Institute's approach to openness to animal research. The event was attended by nearly 100 individuals from German organisations and many questions were raised around the details of the processes we have here at the Institute. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Presentation at the International PRRS Symposium |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of our PRRSV vaccine research, which sparked questions and discussion afterwards |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Presentation at the Laboratory Animal Science Association (LASA) annual meeting - Facility design: biosafety and welfare strategies |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | A member of the team presented at the Laboratory Animal Science Association (LASA) annual meeting on Facility design - biosafety and welfare strategies. The meeting was well attended by individuals from across the sector. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Presentation at the Laboratory Animal Science Association (LASA) annual meeting - overseas animal research policy |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | A member of the team presented on the Institute's overseas animal research policy at the Laboratory Animal Science Association (LASA) annual meeting. This national meeting was attended by individuals from organisations across the sector. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Presentation at the World One Health Congress 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of our vaccine research, which sparked questions and discussion afterwards. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Presentation on the Institute's journey to openness on animal research at the Concordat on Openness conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | A member of Animal Services presented at the Concordat on Openness on Animal Research's first conference which was attended by over 100 global organisations from over 12 different countries. Questions were raised afterwards and contacts have since been made to exchange good practice. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Presentation on use of animals in research to students at Merrist Wood College |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Two members of the Animal Services team presented on the Institute's use of animals in research to approximately 20 undergraduate students at Merrist Wood College. The presentation covered legislation, ethics, culture of care, openness, housing and husbandry, training requirements for roles etc and questions were invited at the end of the session. The College have asked for us to return to present to next year's cohort of students. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Presentation to UKHSA on the Institute's openness journey |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | UKHSA asked if we would present on the Institute's approach to openness on animal research to members of their 3 sites (Chilton, Porton and Collingdale) and included their establishment licence holder, Quality Assurance team, Chairs of their Animal Welfare Ethical Review Body (AWERBs), Training & Development team, Communications department, Security, Facilities team and Health & Safety department. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | RIVR (Recently Independent Virology Researchers) Annual Meeting (Liverpool) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presented a science talk to other researcher on a national level. The event included networking activities. Future collaborations have been planned. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | STEM for Society |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | KM was interviewed for the "Researcher Celebrities" video interview series on YouTube, run by STEM for Society. These videos are watched by an audience of a few hundred to a few thousand viewers from across the world. Shortly after posting the video there was already engagement in the comments section of the video. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/@stemforsociety |
| Description | School visit- Woking College |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Engaged with students aged 16+, talk about Pirbright research, career paths and opportunities in STEM. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Seminar presentation at CVR: "Decoding differential activity of native and recombinant type I interferons against Rift Valley fever virus infection." |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Seminar presentation at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Showcase for Pirbright-Diamond collaboration in virus imaging |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Researchers from The Pirbright Institute, the University of Oxford's Division of Structural Biology and Diamond Light Source have showcased their expertise at the Harwell Open Day, which highlights UK science and innovation to the public. Staged for the first time in eight years, the event gave the public behind-the-scenes insight into leading-edge research and the chance to meet scientists and technicians who deliver discoveries that make the news. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.pirbright.ac.uk/news/showcase-pirbright-diamond-collaboration-virus-imaging |
| Description | Site Visit to DSTL (Porton Down) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A 1-day engineering visit to DSTL (Porton). The visit's aim was twofold. Firstly, to engage in informal discussions around the challenges of maintaining a CL4 facility from an ongoing maintenance perspective. Key issues were discussed and ideas exchange. Secondly relationship building, contacts between the two organisations were strengthened and commitments to continue the conversations were also made. This was a reciprocal visit to DSTL, following a successful visit by DSTL to the Institute in 2023/24 the initial visit focused on a broad range of areas and the return visit to DSTL was similar. Conversations revolved around safe systems of work, competency and energy reduction. Biocontainment engineering is a small community and often it is carried out by facilities management (FM) companies on behalf of the research organisation. The Pirbright Institute is in a very small minority of organisations the maintain their own FM or estate management services in house. This allows The Institute to provide support and guidance to similar organisations who employ FM companies to manage onsite maintenance activities. Support and guidance from The Institute is invaluable to other organisations such as DSTL when it comes to holding both technical and commercial discussions with their FM supplier. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Southern England Virology Network meeting (Animal and Plant Health Agency, Weybridge) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presented a science talk to researchers from research organisations (government and academia) in South England. The event also included networking activities. Future meetings have been organised. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Takeover of Understanding Animal Research's Instagram |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Two members of Animal Services volunteered to undertaking a 'takeover' of Understanding Animal Research's Instagram account with a tour of Biggs. They provided video clips throughout the day and answered a publicly available Q&A session. The engagement was excellent. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Talk at Microbiology Society Roadshow 16th October 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Lab presented research at Microbiology Society Journal of Virology Roadshow in Guildford. Attendance supported development of Virology research network in South East England. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://microbiologysociety.org/event/society-events-and-meetings/journal-of-general-virology-roadsh... |
| Description | Talk on ASF subunit vaccines at 'Human and Veterinary Vaccinology' course |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Talk on the challenges of developing vaccines against African swine fever virus as part of the Talk on ASF subunit vaccines at 'Human and Veterinary Vaccinology' course organised by the Jenner Institute |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Talk on Asfarvaridae at Virologie Fondamentale MSc course |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of African swine fever virus to MSc students as part of the Pasteur Institute's virology course |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Talk on stomoxys calcitrans colony |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Talk given to meeting of Public Health Entomology Group on stomoxys calcitrans at LSHTM (Melanie Nicholls) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | The Pirbright Institute's Culture of care and 3Rs meeting 2025 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Animal Services arranged a Culture of care and 3Rs meeting in 2025. The meeting was open to all internal staff with over 20 external attendees from research establishments from across the UK, along with a number of trade organisations. Refreshment breaks provided excellent opportunities for questions and discussions, with attendees requesting a similar event for 2026. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Transcriptomic profiling of bovine NK cells using single-cell RNA sequencing |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Soumya Sharma presented a talk at the 14th International Veterinary Immunology Symposium; 11-14 August 2025; Vienna, Austria. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Transforming to Zero, MW was invited by 3PM and GXN to take part in the panel discussion on achieving Lab Net Zero (official launch of the Transforming to Zero White Paper) at the Welcome collection London. Specifically the challenges raised by High containment. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Miriam Windsor was invited to take part in the panel discussion on achieving Lab Net Zero (official launch of the Transforming to Zero White Paper) at the Welcome collection London. Specifically the challenges raised by High containment. This has lead to being invited to join the London Highers Sustainable Laboratories Working group and provided opportunities for networking with other laboratory managers, leading to the proposal to hold a laboratory management conference in Guildford (March 20th 2025). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Translation UK 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Co-organised the Translation UK 2024 conference. Translation UK 2024 successfully brought together over 130 scientists examining protein synthesis and its regulation at the University of Surrey to share recent developments and breakthroughs through a series of talks, poster presentations and networking events. Scientists from the UK and abroad presented recently published and unpublished work of the highest quality. With a strong focus on providing opportunity for early career researchers to contribute, ECRs were selected to chair sessions and invited to attend a careers session. Translation UK 2024 showcased the strength, diversity and potential of the UK's mRNA translation research and provided a crucible for new and exciting collaborations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.biochemistry.org/media/z4uhjhjq/translation-uk-2024-flyer.pdf |
| Description | Unique genomic linkage between the MHC class I and the leukocyte receptor complex in Yangochiropteran bats |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | John Schwartz presented a talk at the 14th International Veterinary Immunology Symposium; 11-14 August 2025; Vienna, Austria. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Veterinary Health and Disease Student Symposium hosted by the University of Reading's School of Agriculture, Policy and Development. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | The event was aimed at second-year BSc Bioveterinary Sciences students and included presentations on current research projects at Pirbright and a poster assessment session, reviewing the undergraduate poster presentations and providing constructive feedback. The students showed an increased understanding of research after the event. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Village Fair visit |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Visited local village fair to increase awareness of research performed, value and impact |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Workshop for DEFRA (APHA) - HEPA Filter |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A 1-day workshop detailing the theory and practical process of HEPA filter validation HEPA filter validation and testing workshop. Both the managers who attended are responsible for the management of their FM supplier. The main reason for attending this course was to be able to gain enough knowledge to ensure they fully understood the work carried out by their FM company and were confident in the costs associated with that work. Having a clear and full understanding of the testing and validation activities associates with HEPA filters, delegates are now confident in challenging decisions made by their FM supplier to carry out work that may not be necessary. Leading to immediate cost savings. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2026 |
| Description | eLearning internal |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Short elearning courses for internal use of new Pirbright systems Collection of internal training courses - Review of Contractor RAMS - Testo Environmental Monitoring System: User and Power User Awareness Training - Testo Fast-Track Change Control Procedure Awareness Training - Ideagen Quality Management Web Portal - Response Contact Module (RCM) Internal staff benefit from training materials easily accessible from the Institute's Absorb LMS. Internal staff benefit from training materials easily accessible from the Institute's Absorb LMS. SCORM (Absorb LMS) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025,2026 |
| Description | participation in Pirbright celebration day 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Participated in bioinformatics and sequencing stall |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |