Diagnosis and prediction of early-stage Johne's disease (MAP) in cattle to enable improved sustainability of agricultural protein production

MI:RNA有限公司是一家兽医诊断公司，拥有独特的、正在申请专利的生物标志物检测技术。这个项目建立在我们成功的基础上，最初的Innovate UK资助的初步试验证明了我们的技术在乳制品和牛肉企业中检测早期约翰氏病的潜力。约翰氏病导致受感染牛的产奶量显著减少和体重减轻，并增加受影响动物的温室气体排放量。因此，改善疾病早期检测将使该部门受益，提高生产力，减轻经济损失，并有助于实现可持续的碳中和商业模式。该项目将MI:RNA创新与上海大学同事的研究专长相结合。组建的团队将与我们在数字乳制品链和CIEL网络中的合作伙伴招募的英国农场合作，从中获取样本和数据，通过量身定制的投入和指导，直接使这些企业受益。额外的寿命数据将来自存储的样本库。CIEL市场研究研讨会将考察商业前景，并帮助根据生产商的需要定制产品。项目阶段和目标：第一阶段：将与SRUC研究和兽医服务部门合作，进一步采集健康和受感染的牛血清样本，以加强目前的初步数据。这让我们能够完善AI模型。此外，将评估和优化混合样品和牛奶和尿液替代样品介质的准确性。第二阶段：建立早期疾病检测的准确性和敏感性。这将通过在我们的专业研究合作者（包括荷兰瓦赫宁根大学和SRUC优质牛健康计划）的纵向约翰氏病样本中试验增强的人工智能模型来实现。这样就可以对预测数据进行建模，并在疾病的每个阶段建立测试准确性。第三阶段：最终模型将在现实环境中进行测试。这将涉及与数字乳制品链（英格兰西北部）和CIEL网络（英国）相关的英国农场的工作。在这个广泛的试验中，我们将接收和处理来自参与农场的样品，优化样品处理和加工，并直接将我们的测试与现有解决方案进行比较。这些试验的结果将在同行评议的学术期刊上公开发布，我们将最终确定下一阶段的研究和发展目标。这将直接影响我们的商业化计划，使产品进入市场，直接和积极地影响农业蛋白质生产部门。

MI:RNA Ltd is a veterinary diagnostics company with a unique, patent pending, biomarker testing technology. This project builds upon our successful, initial Innovate UK funded preliminary trial which demonstrated the potential of our technology to detect early-stage Johne's disease in dairy and beef enterprises. Johne's disease leads to a significant reduction in milk yields and weight loss in affected cattle, as well as increasing the greenhouse gas production from animals affected. Consequently, improved early disease detection will benefit the sector with increased productivity, mitigation of economic losses and assistance in achieving a sustainable, carbon neutral business model.This project will combine MI:RNA innovation with the research expertise of colleagues within SRUC. The assembled team will work with English farms recruited by our collaborators in the Digital Dairy Chain and CIEL network, from which samples and data will be sourced, directly benefitting these enterprises with tailored input and guidance. Additional longevity data will be sourced from stored sample banks. CIEL market research workshops will scope the commercial landscape and help tailor the product to the producers' needs.Project phases and goals:Phase 1: The current preliminary data will be enhanced with further healthy and infected cattle serum samples in collaboration with SRUC research and veterinary services. This allows us to mature the AI model. Additionally, the accuracy of pooled samples and alternative sample mediums of milk and urine will be assessed and optimised.Phase 2: The accuracy and sensitivity of early disease detection will be established. This will be achieved through trialling the enhanced AI model with longitudinal Johne's disease samples from our specialist research collaborators including the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands and SRUC premium cattle health schemes. This allows modelling with predictive data and establishment of test accuracy at each stage of disease.Phase 3: The finalised model will be tested in a real-life setting. This will involve work with English farms linked with Digital Dairy Chain (NW England) and CIEL network (UK). In this extensive trial, we will receive and process samples from participating farms, optimize sample handling and processing and directly compare our test to existing solutions.The outcomes of these trials will be released publicly in peer-reviewed academic journals, and we will finalise our next stage research and development objectives. This will feed directly into our commercialisation plan to make the product available to the market, directly and positively impacting the agricultural protein production sector.