Innate immunity Research Group

Key aims and expertise

Research interests in this area are in the host response to a wide range of infectious diseases including: mastitis in cattle; foot rot in sheep; enteric bacterial infections in pigs and chickens; host innate immunity to influenza virus infections and bacterial infections in fish. The research includes:

• Studies of pathogen recognition by host cell receptors including Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and the signalling pathways in the host cell.
• Characterization of bovine cytokines and novel IL-1 cytokines. 
• Basic bioscience underpinning health, such as age-related differences in the immune system, with a particular interest in key immune cells, including those that link the innate and adaptive immune systems including Th17 and gamma delta T cells
• Identification of key mediators of host resistance to influenza virus infections in innate immune and muscle cells of different host species
• Identification of host targets for intervention to improve the physical characteristics of muscle and its innate immunity during growth or at old age

Current projects

Some of our currently active projects are listed below with the name of a contact person for further information:

1. Development of complex epithelial models for study of host–pathogen interactions in veterinary species (Dr Sabine Totemeyer) 
2. The functional effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in bovine CXCL8: a marker for mastitis in gene-assisted selection (Dr Tracey Coffey) 
3. Signalling mediators in muscle cells that enhance innate immunity and muscle quality (Prof Kin-Chow Chang)

Significant results