Development of multiplexed diagnostic biosensor for infectious reproductive diseases of cattle and buffaloes

印度是世界上最大的乳制品生产国(每年牛和水牛的产量约为1250亿升)。这种牛奶在为不断增长的人口提供营养方面具有巨大的重要性，同时也为农村社区提供了经济利益。维持这场所谓的“白色革命”是农业政策的重要组成部分。同样，在英国，牛奶在农村经济和为民众提供营养方面发挥着重要作用。在这两种情况下，奶牛的供应都是通过自然和人工受精饲养牛来实现的，从而能够生产出如此大量的牛奶。维护牛和水牛的生殖健康是非常重要的，减少新生牛犊产量的疾病具有重大的经济影响。牛和水牛最常见的生殖疾病是布鲁氏菌病、钩端螺旋体病和牛传染性鼻气管炎。这些疾病影响牲畜的生殖器官，降低生育力，导致牛奶产量损失--对农业产量产生重大影响。这些疾病在印度以及其他亚洲、非洲和南美国家的发病率都特别高，在包括英国在内的发达国家具有重要的经济意义。此外，钩端螺旋体病和布鲁氏菌病是两种重要的细菌性疾病，具有人畜共患的重要性--因为动物工作者、兽医、屠宰场工人和农民也处于感染的高风险中。这三种疾病的特点都是通过堕胎、死产和出生虚弱的后代而导致生殖障碍。受感染的公牛在自然和人工授精过程中通过精液将病原体传播给健康的奶牛。动物主人和生产者的简单观察不足以准确诊断这种疾病，这种疾病经常被忽视。因此，我们计划开发针对这三种疾病的低成本、快速和灵敏的多重诊断方法，目的是在人工授精站对奶牛群中的奶牛和公牛进行筛查--在那里这种诊断将产生重大影响。我们的总体目标是帮助打破感染循环，控制奶牛动物的传播率。该项目的主要成果将是一种低成本、快速和敏感的诊断测试，用于检测影响牛和水牛生殖系统的多种传染病病原体。传感器的设计和生产方式将使未经培训的农村农民能够进行测试--简单地回答是或否，就可以判断公牛或它的精液是否感染了。仪器本身将经过加固，这样它就可以在农场的条件下工作。

India is the top dairy producer in the world (yielding about 125 billion litres per annum from cattle and buffaloes). This milk is of huge importance in providing nutrition to a growing population - whilst also providing economic benefit in rural communities. Sustaining this so-called "white revolution" is a vital component in agricultural policy. Similarly in the UK, milk plays an important part in the rural economy and in providing nutrition to the population. In both cases, the supply of cows, to enable the production of this large volume of milk is enabled through the breeding of cattle through both natural and artificial insemination. Maintaining the reproductive health of the cattle and buffaloes is hugely important and diseases that reduce the yield of new calves born have a significant economic impact.The most common reproductive diseases in cattle and buffaloes are brucellosis, leptospirosis and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis. The diseases affect the livestock's reproductive organs, reducing fertility and resulting in a loss of milk production - with a significant impact on agricultural output. These diseases all have a particularly high prevalence in India, and other Asian, African and South American countries as well as being of significant economic importance in the Developed World, including the UK. In addition, leptospirosis and brucellosis are two important bacterial diseases, which have a zoonotic importance - as animal workers, veterinarians, abattoir workers and farmers are also at a high risk of infection.All three diseases are characterized by reproductive failure through abortions, stillbirths and the birth of weak offspring. Infected bulls transmit the pathogens to healthy cows through semen during both natural and artificial insemination. Simple observation by animal owners and producers is not sufficient to accurately diagnose the disease, which often goes unnoticed. We therefore plan to develop low-cost, rapid and sensitive multiplexed diagnostic assays for the three diseases, with the aim of screening cows in the dairy herd and bulls at the artificial insemination station - where such diagnostics will have great impact. Our overall aim is to help break the cycle of infection and control rates of transmission in dairy animals. The major outcome of the project will be a low cost, rapid and sensitive diagnostic test for detection of multiple infectious pathogens affecting reproductive system of cattle and buffaloes. The sensor will be designed and produced in such a way that untrained rural farmers will be able to perform the tests -giving a simple yes or no to tell whether the bull or its semen is infected. The instrument itself will be rugidised so that it can work in the conditions on the farm.