Project Partner, United Kingdom
P2 University of Bath, Department of Biology & Biochemistry, Bath, England, U.K.
Represented by: Dr. Adrian Wolstenholme
University of Bath: www.bath.ac.uk
Department of Biology & Biochemistry: www.bath.ac.uk/bio-sci/
Adrian Wolstenholme: www.bath.ac.uk/bio-sci/wolsten2.htm
The Department of Biology & Biochemistry at Bath has a total of about 150 staff plus about 70 postgraduate research students. The Department has a major strength in invertebrate biology and is a leader in studying macrocyclic lactone action in parasitic nematodes, and in developing functional assays, using ligand-binding and electrophysiology techniques. This expertise is now being applied to all the major groups of anthelmintics. The Dept of Biology & Biochemistry carries out international quality science on insecticide and antibiotic resistance. It contains a wide range of modern equipment and a genomics unit with high-throughput DNA sequencing and microarray readers, together with a dedicated bioinformatics server. The nematode laboratory is well equipped for molecular biology, including real-time PCR. We have facilities for electrophysiology on Xenopus oocytes and pharmacological analysis via radioligand binding, making us ideally suited to the work, determining the basis of ML resistance in Haemonchus contortus and other species, and using this information to develop and test novel molecular diagnostics. The Department has played a role in several EU projects, currently including HPRN-CT-2002-00258 and is a Marie Curie Training Site ‘Post-genomic analysis of microbial virulence’ Contract: HPMT-CT-2001-00288.
P3 University of Bristol, School of Veterinary Medicine, Bristol, England, U.K.
Represented by: Dr. Gerald Coles and Dr. Eric Morgan
Driven by the needs of the European farming community, the Bristol group has been a leader and vocal advocate for studies on anthelmintic resistance for many years. In 1994, they organised an EU funded conference on anthelmintic resistance in Brussels. They have considerable expertise in the isolation and production of parasites, in field and laboratory anthelmintic trials and in the development and optimisation of biological assays for resistance, being first to describe the larval development test. They have been responsible for many of the first reports of anthelmintic resistance in the U.K., including triple resistant worms in goats and the isolation of the first macrocyclic lactone-resistant cattle parasites in the northern hemisphere. They are the first veterinary school in Europe to purchase and study New Zealand Romney sheep that are resilient to nematodes. The group also has expertise in the population dynamics of ruminant nematodes, which equips them to assess the epidemiological consequences of altered anthelmintic treatment strategies. With the vet school being in probably the most intensive cattle and sheep producing area of Europe it makes us ideally suited to the work in research on cattle and sheep nematodes and the development and standardisation of tests for resistance.
P7 Moredun Research Institute, Penicuik, Edinburgh, EH26 0PZ, Scotland, U.K.
Represented by: Dr. Frank Jackson
Moredun Research Institute: http://www.mri.sari.ac.uk/
Moredun Research Institute is a disease research institute that specialises in diseases of livestock, particularly sheep. The institute has two farms and excellent animal breeding, rearing, and accommodation together with very modern laboratory facilities. The parasitology division (30 staff) maintains 8 different species of ovine gastrointestinal nematodes together with a number of anthelmintic resistant isolates. The majority of its Veterinary, Biology and Molecular Biology researchers are engaged on nematode research on vaccines, anthelmintic resistance, alternative approaches to control and immunoparasitology. The research group has extensive experience in the field of anthelmintic resistance particularly with regard to its epidemiology, prevalence and diagnosis. More recently the laboratory has begun to characterise a local triple resistant isolate of Teladorsagia circumcincta using in vivo (CET, FECRT) and in vitro (LMIA, LDA, LFIA) bioassays and molecular approaches (multiplex PCR, sage, microsatellite markers). Moredun Research Institute has held previous EU grants in a number of different research areas concerned with infectious diseases and parasitology. The group used in PARASOL has been involved in 3 parasitological programmes (Fair 3 CT 96-1485; QLRT – 2000-1843 WORMCOPS and a STREP REPLACE).
P13 Innovis Ltd, Peithyll Centre Capel Dewi, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 3HU, U.K.
Represented by: Mr. Eurion Thomas
Innovis is a technology company committed to improving the breeding and management of sheep and runs services for artificial insemination, semen and embryo storage, embryo transfer, genetic testing including scrapie genotyping and paternity testing. Innovis are also involved in Parasitology through the provision of a commercial faecal egg counting laboratory helping in the selection for worm resistant sheep and selling of kits for worm egg counts. Innovis market a kit called FECPAK that enables veterinary surgeons and farmers to undertake faecal egg counts on the farm. The kit has been designed to be easy and quick to use and has proved to be an extremely reliable and sensitive method of faecal egg counting. The ability of farmers to carry out faecal egg counts ‘on the spot’ results in these being done more regularly giving a more accurate picture of the parasite burdens on farms. Innovis thus have a client database that will enable them to determine how the use of kits by farmers has resulted in the reduction of anthelmintic use. Innovis also provide consultancy and training on parasitology control and the efficient use of anthelmintics.
Innovis currently employ 48 staff at 3 centres in Aberystwyth, Edinburgh and Malvern, Worcestershire.
