NATIONAL NEEDS GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM IN FOOD ANIMAL BIOSECURITY: INFECTIOUS DISEASE ECOLOGY

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: OTHER GRANTS
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0227880
• Grant No.: 2012-38420-30221
• Cumulative Award Amt.: $238,500.00
• Proposal No.: 2011-03899
• Project Start Date: Feb 15, 2012
• Project End Date: Feb 14, 2017
• Grant Year: 2012
• Program Code: [KK]- National Needs Graduate Fellowships Program

Project Director
Rutherford, M.

Recipient Organization
UNIV OF MINNESOTA
(N/A)
ST PAUL,MN 55108

Performing Department
(N/A)

Non Technical Summary
Food security sciences suffer from a shortage of skilled investigative infectious disease scientists who understand broader food production systems. This deficit compromises efforts to create sustainable food animal practices, protect the animal-sourced food chain, and assure food safety through control of disease outbreaks and managing risks resulting from new agricultural practices, movement of wildlife populations, climate change, food safety and defense regulations, market preferences, and societal pressures. Basic knowledge of infectious agent pathogenesis and transmission must be translated to the agricultural and food system communities in the form of safer and more secure food supplies that promote long-term sustainability. This goal can be achieved through real-time surveillance diagnostics, new prevention and treatment approaches, improved on-farm and regional biosecurity protocols, and healthy ecosystem management practices. Yet risk management, epidemiology, sustainable food animal agriculture, policy law, and infectious disease disciplines are not meaningfully integrated despite the contribution each makes to agricultural biosecurity against infectious agents. We will educate three infectious disease scientists capable of immediately applying their research acumen to the food animal biosecurity industries. Fellows will acquire key learning through 1) a rigorous PhD training program, 2) a Food Systems Biosecurity experiential learning component, and 3) a Minor Concentration coursework in risk analysis, sustainable ecosystems, or policy and leadership. NNF graduates will be able to translate the results of laboratory research into new products and practices that improve food animal biosecurity, promote food security, assess food systems risks, and formulate regulatory policies.

Animal Health Component

25%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

75%

Applied

25%

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
311	3230	1100	10%
311	3230	1101	10%
311	3310	1100	10%
311	3310	1101	10%
311	3410	1100	10%
311	3410	1101	10%
311	3510	1100	10%
311	3510	1101	10%
311	4099	1100	10%
311	4099	1101	10%

Knowledge Area
311 - Animal Diseases;

Subject Of Investigation
4099 - Microorganisms, general/other; 3310 - Beef cattle, live animal; 3510 - Swine, live animal; 3230 - Turkey, live animal; 3410 - Dairy cattle, live animal;

Field Of Science
1101 - Virology; 1100 - Bacteriology;

Keywords

biosecurity

infectious agent

pathogenesis

virulence

risk analysis

policy and leadership

Goals / Objectives
Human health is directly tied to the health of food animals and the ecosystems in which they are raised. Food animal origin and food-borne infectious agents frequently disrupt the food chain. Climate changes are shifting wildlife populations and their associated disease vectors into closer contact with domestic populations, which increases risk of pathogen transmission to livestock and poultry. Food security and sustainable ecosystems are national concerns, yet the many workforce components that comprise food animal production and food security remain largely segregated, which impoverishes national efforts to ensure a sustainable, sufficient and safe food supply. These realities underscore our intent to train scientists with both the investigative skills and an understanding of the food system such that they can address complex challenges across the continuum of the animal food chain. This National Needs Fellowship Program in Food Animal Biosecurity: Infectious Disease Ecology integrates PhD training in infectious diseases that threaten the global food network with a biosecurity experiential immersion. We request support for three PhD fellowships in the Targeted Expertise Shortage Area Sciences for Agricultural Biosecurity. Specifically, we will produce infectious diseases scientists with strong preparedness to innovatively address multifaceted challenges of food animal biosecurity, sustainable agroecosystems, and food systems. Training will integrate basic scientific research, experiential learning, and extended coursework in one of three disciplines inherent to ensuring a safe food supply: Food Safety (Discipline F), Agricultural Biosecurity (Discipline X), or Risk Analysis and Decision Management (Discipline L).

Project Methods
We will employ several powerful features to ensure the program's long-term success and that of our graduates: (a) infectious disease research training that imparts scientific excellence; (b) an inter-collegiate and interdisciplinary program faculty with active and well-funded research programs specific to this Targeted Expertise Shortage Area; (c) a Food Security Immersion that imparts practical working knowledge of food animal management, disease surveillance, and food defense; (d) concentrated learning in risk analysis, sustainable animal ecosystems, and food security policy; (e) access to numerous Centers and core facilities focused on microbial pathogenesis, animal production systems, and food defense; (f) rigorous coursework; (g) required seminar and grant writing courses; (h) the formal training of Fellows as educators; and (i) multiple levels of student engagement and mentoring. Our Fellows will succeed in a variety of academic and industry positions because they will have a strong scientific foundation in the ecology of infectious diseases affecting agricultural animals and the global food supply, a broad understanding of the policy and regulatory environment in which this scientific knowledge is put to use, and hands-on experience with real-world projects in risk analysis, sustainable agroecosystems, and disease surveillance.

Progress 02/15/12 to 02/14/17

Outputs
Target Audience:PhD trainees in infectious diseases that limit production of animal-sourced proteins and nutrients. A total of 3 fellows were supported for portions of their PhD tenure. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?All fellows were permitted to attend annual conferences of their choice, related to their thesis work and interests. In addition, all fellows completed a research animal ethics course, a brief internship in a relevant agricultural entity, and participated in annual science seminars where they were provided coaching and feedback on their presentation skills. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Three PhD students were supported. One has defended her thesis and accepted a faculty position at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota. Another has returned to the graduate program following a leave of absence and is continuing with her PhD thesis research, having completed all coursework and passing her qualifying exams. A third trainee was dismissed from the program due to academic issues. A replacement was identified for student #3, but a willful administrative error on part of my grant management accountant (Edie Nelson) prevented us from appointing this student for the remaining 14 months of support that was available. The replacement fellow did, however, complete his PhD work and has begun an Anatomical Pathology residency at the College of Veterinary Medince, Iowa State University. Publications related to the work the fellows were completing are listed elsewhere in this final report.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Perez, AM, A Alba, D Goede, B McCluskey, and R Morrison, 2016. Monitoring the spread of swine enteric coronavirus diseases in the US in the absence of a regulatory framework. Front. Vet. Sci. 14;3:18. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2016.00018. eCollection 2016
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Goede, D, and RB Morrison, 2016. Production impact and time to stability in sow herds infected with PEDV. Prev. Vet. Med. 123:202.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Alvarez J, D Goede, R Morrison, and A Perez, 2016. Spatial and temporal epidemiology of PEDV in the Midwest and Southeast regions of the US. Prev. Vet. Med. 123:155.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Godden SM, Royster E, Knauer W, Sorg J, Lopez-Benavidez M, Schukken Y, Leibowitz S, and French EA, 2016. Randomized noninferiority study evaluating the efficacy of a post-milking teat disinfectant for the prevention of naturally occurring intramammary infections. J. Dairy Sci. 99:3675.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Knauer WA, SM Godden, A Dietrich, and RE James, 2017. The association between daily average feeding behaviors and morbidity in automatically fed group-housed preweaned dairy calves. J. Dairy Sci. 100:5642.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Knauer, WA, SM Godden, and N. McDonald, 2016. Technical note: Preliminary evaluation of an automated indwelling rumen temperature bolus measurement system to detect pyrexia in preweaned dairy calves. J. Dairy Sci. 99:9925.

Progress 02/15/15 to 02/14/16

Outputs
Target Audience:This grant provides stipend support for 3 PhD students engaged in various aspects of research related to food animal biosecurity. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Student #3 delivered 4 h lecture to first year DVM students in Immunology as part of his development toward academic veterinary scientist. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continued monitoring of progress toward degree. Students will also be utilizing their experiential learning funds to attend workshops of interest.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? All 3 students are making good progress, tho student #2 will retake PhD prelims summer 2016.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Godden SM, Royster E, Knauer W, Sorg J, Lopez-Benavidez M, Schukken Y, Leibowitz S, and French EA, 2016. Randomized noninferiority study evaluating the efficacy of a post-milking teat disinfectant for the prevention of naturally occurring intramammary infections. J. Dairy Sci. 99:3675.

Progress 02/15/14 to 02/14/15

Outputs
Target Audience: Currently the program supports PhD training for 3 students addressing food animal-specific biosecurity and infectious agents. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? All three trainees have at least one committee member who either the PI or co-PI of this grant. We will monitor their preliminary exam success and research progress. All students will present their work at at least one national conference in the next 6 months.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? All three students are making excellent research progress and are approaching their preliminary exam timeline (summer 2015).

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Teixeira, AG, ML Bicalho, VS Machado, G Oikonomou, C Kaca, C Toditsch, R Young, WA Knauer, DV Nydam, and RC Bicalho, 2013. Heat and ultraviolet light treatment of colostrum and hospital milk: effects on colostrum and hospital milk characteristics and calf health and growth parameters. Vet. J. 197:175-181.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Chung, HC, VG Nguyen, D Goede, CH Park, AR Kim, HJ Moon, SJ Park, HK Kim, and BK Park, 2014. Gouleako and Herbert viruses in pig, Republic of Korea, 2013. Emerg, Infect. Dis. 20:2072-2075.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Alonso, C, DP Goede, RB Morrison, PR Davies, A Rovira, DG Marthaler, and M Torremorell, 2014. Evidence of infectivity of airborne porcine epidemic diarrhea virus and detection of airborne viral RNA at long distances from infected herds. Vet. Res. 45:73.

Progress 02/15/13 to 02/14/14

Outputs
Target Audience: Nothing Reported Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Our goal is to place students into externships at the point of animal-sourced protein production or immediately after harvest. It's early, but one student has begun working at a regional pig genetics research company. All students have had an opportunity to present research seminars. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? All students have presented seminars in the collegiate graduate student seminar series. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Continue to complete PhD timelines, including PhD qualifying exams.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? All three fellows have been named and have begun their PhD thesis research. The first focusses on aerosol transmission of viruses in pig populations and the potential for air filtration systems to control spread. The second student is investigating passive transfer of antibodies in colostrum in dairy cattle, including processes for pasteurizing colostrum to prevent transmission of infectious agents without reducing immunoprotection in the calf. The third student is investigating impact of terrain and wild birds on incidence of avian influenza in turkey flocks.

Publications

Progress 02/15/12 to 02/14/13

Outputs
OUTPUTS: This report covers the first year of the award that funds three PhD trainees in infectious disease ecology of food animals. Because the funding started after the usual graduate program application/selection process, we were able to enroll a single student in the initial phases of the award. The student is a DVM working on biosecurity in swine herds, including evaluating efficacy of several PRRS control protocols. This student has already captured external funding from the National Pork Producers to support his thesis research. The remaining two positions have been recruited and will begin their studies in June of this year. One student is a recent DVM graduate who will work on mastitis control and dairy cow health/welfare systems. The second student is likely to pursue working on the pathogenomics of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, the causative agent of Johne's disease. PARTICIPANTS: Trainee 1 is a DVM from the University of Minnesota and is working on swine herd health and farm biosecurity. Trainee 2 is a DVM graduate from Penn who is completing an dairy ambulatory residency at Cornell. She will be working on mastitis control in large vs small dairies and how management impacts dairy cow health and welfare. Trainee 3 will graduate in May 2013 with a BS in both Animal Science and in Biochemistry. Her advisor and project has not been fully defined but she is likely to work within our Johne's disease research group on molecular pathogenesis of the organism in farm settings. TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
The outcome of this program will be the training of three PhD scientists skilled in investigative infectious disease research who also understand broader food production systems at the farm and population level. They will be able to translate basic knowledge of infectious agent pathogenesis and transmission to the agricultural and food system communities in the form of safer and more secure food supplies that promote long-term sustainability through real-time surveillance diagnostics, new prevention and treatment approaches, improved on-farm and regional biosecurity protocols, and healthy ecosystem management practices.

Publications

• No publications reported this period