Progress 09/01/07 to 08/31/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The objective of this equipment grant was to obtain the Bio-Plex Suspension Array System (BioRad, Hercules, CA) which uses Luminex multiplexing technology to detect multiple targets within one sample. It uses up to 100 color-coded bead sets, each of which can be conjugated with a different specific reactant for the detection of these multiple targets. This technology is being used to: 1) multiplex swine specific cytokine antibodies to detect and measure cytokines in serum and semen of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRSV)- infected boars. This information will be used to correlate cytokine levels with the duration of viral shedding in semen. Initially, specific assays are being developed for swine specific cytokine measurements in serum and seminal plasma, including detecting some of the innate (IL-1 beta, IL-8, IL-6); regulatory (IL-10), Th1 (IL-12, TNF alpha) and Th2 (IL-4) cytokines; 2) develop multiplex assays using PRRSV specific proteins to detect and measure antibodies to these various proteins in PRRSV-infected boars to correlate the duration of viral shedding in semen to antibody levels. 3) provide the equipment and training to other researchers. Since funding for the equipment does not include funding to develop and validate the assays, to date, we have established a management system for maintaining the equipment and availability to all researchers and have provided training seminars and information to other researchers at South Dakota State University and within industry. The initial training seminar involved at least 15 researchers and included performing a 4-plex mouse cytokine analysis on the instrument. A second version of the software was set up on another computer, separate from the instrument for easy access to analyze data. In addition, we have submitted a grant to the National Pork Board and USDA-NRI PRRSV CAP2 program to fulfill the objectives for designing and conducting the experiments on swine cytokine analysis. PARTICIPANTS: Training and professional development and other information relating to the use of this equipment was provided to researchers within the Veterinary Science Department (Sr. Microbiologists, Aaron Singrey, Traivs Clement, Roger Chapin; Microbiologists, Simon Althoff, Craig Welbon, Shelly Weeks (now at Hematech, Inc.); Research Scientists, Mojun Zhao, Marie Sauer; Faculty, Eric Nelson, Jane Christopher-Hennings, Chris Chase, Weiping Zhang Within Microbiogy: Faculty, Xiuqing Wang Within Plant Science: Faculty, Anne Fennell, Fedora Sutton Within industry: Lisa Baxter (Novartis Animal Health) Other collaborators contacted and recruited for research collaborations on this instrument include, Dr. Joan Lunney, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD and Dr. Susan Wong, Wadsworth Institute, NY. TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
As a result of obtaining the equipment through this grant, multiple researchers within SDSU and industry are aware of the instrumentation, have had training on it and know the general guidelines for setting up assays and experiments within our department. Additional grants are being written and submitted for the development of various multiplexing assays on this instrumentation, including more specifically, agriculture related assays for the development of 2nd generation vaccines for veterinary infectious diseases.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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