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A £4 million Pirbright-led consortium will develop mRNA vaccines for livestock diseases, supporting animal health, food security and efforts to reduce antimicrobial resistance across farming.
A new £4 million research consortium, led by The Pirbright Institute, is developing next-generation vaccine technologies to improve livestock disease control and help reduce antimicrobial resistance.
The programme forms part of a wider £54 million government investment in national epidemic preparedness and animal-health innovation. Funded through UK Research and Innovation, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, it brings together expertise from across animal health, vaccine development, measurement science and biomanufacturing.
Alongside Pirbright, the consortium includes the Roslin Institute, the University of Surrey, the National Measurement Laboratory and the Centre for Process Innovation’s RNA Centre of Excellence. Their shared objective is to develop a flexible mRNA vaccine platform that can be adapted quickly to target priority diseases in major livestock species.
The platform will focus on threats including influenza A virus, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, bluetongue virus and avian pathogenic Escherichia coli. These diseases can affect animal welfare, farm productivity and the resilience of food-production systems, making effective prevention and control a significant scientific and economic priority.
mRNA technologies have attracted global attention for their potential to support rapid vaccine design and development. For veterinary applications, a “plug-and-play” approach could allow researchers to adapt vaccine candidates as disease threats evolve, while drawing on advanced computational biology and structural-design tools.
The programme also has a clear connection to antimicrobial resistance. Preventing infectious disease can reduce the need for antibiotics in livestock production, particularly where medicines may otherwise be used preventatively. This supports the One Health approach, which recognises the close relationship between human, animal and environmental health.
For laboratory professionals, the project illustrates the multidisciplinary work needed to translate emerging technologies into real-world tools. Success will depend on robust molecular research, reliable measurement and testing, scalable manufacturing processes and collaboration with veterinary and agricultural partners.
The consortium will work with industry stakeholders and a Scientific Advisory Board to help ensure the technology is relevant to practical livestock systems. As the work progresses, it could provide valuable insight into how mRNA platforms can support faster, more targeted responses to animal-disease threats.
By combining vaccine innovation with a focus on antimicrobial stewardship, the initiative highlights the role laboratory science can play in strengthening biosecurity, sustainable agriculture and food security.
