Location: Ruminant Diseases and Immunology Research
Project Number: 5030-32000-229-091-I
Project Type: Interagency Reimbursable Agreement
Start Date: Dec 3, 2020
End Date: Sep 30, 2022
Objective:
We propose to continue the development of immune assays for Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. We will then utilize these reagents to compare cytokine responses of dolphins during respiratory infections which are similar to those seen in cattle with bovine respiratory disease complex.
Approach:
We will continue to test antibodies raised against human, bovine and porcine immune molecules for cross-reactivity with Atlantic bottlenose dolphin tissue samples.
We will continue to develop new primers sets for measuring messenger RNA levels of dolphin cytokines. New immune reagent development will continue. In our previous agreement, we developed specific cytokine ELISA reagents.
We will express recombinant cytokines in a yeast expression system and then generate polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to these cytokines. In this proposal, we will screen and/or produce monoclonal antibodies to specific cell surface molecules. The ultimate goal will be to produce and characterize monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies for use in several bottlenose dolphin-specific immune assays, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, immunohistochemical assays and flow cytometry.
