Location: Genomics and Bioinformatics Research
Project Number: 6066-21310-006-016-T
Project Type: Trust Fund Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Oct 1, 2020
End Date: Aug 1, 2023
Objective:
Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) complex is an economically important complex of diseases caused by transport stress and bacterial and viral pathogens including Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilus somni, and Mycoplasma bovis. The ability to rapidly identify sick cattle before the onset of severe disease would enable the targeted, limited use of antibiotics.
Approach:
We propose to analyze volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in breath to detect early-stage pulmonary immune response and specific pathogen metabolites. Breath VOC analysis is being applied in human medicine to diagnose bacterial infection, cancer, and metabolic disorders. VOC’s will be detected using a proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS). These instruments sample at 0.1 second time resolution and can detect typical organics VOCs in the parts-per-trillion range. We are currently using PTR-MS on an FFAR funded Egg-Tech challenge and see the potential to leverage FFAR investment to solve the Critical Challenge of BRD detection.
