Bead-based multiplexing technology ('Luminex') for multidisciplinary studies in veterinary medicine

动物健康和肉类/食品加工业对加拿大农业的盈利能力有重大影响，并最终影响到加拿大公众的健康。蒙特利尔大学兽医学院通过国际知名的研究中心/小组的活动，在动物健康、公共卫生和环境影响方面发挥着主导作用，这些研究中心/小组包括：猪传染病研究小组、‘Groupe de recherche et d’enseignement en salubritéalimentaire‘、’Groupe de recherche enéidsémiologie des zoonoses et santéPublic ique‘、加拿大牛乳炎和牛奶质量研究网络、动物繁殖研究中心和’Groupe de Recherche en Médecine De Québec‘。这些由基础研究人员和应用研究人员组成的小组有着共同的目标：增加关于主要动物和人畜共患病原体引起疾病的潜在机制的知识，控制食源性病原体的风险，并提高对动物疾病和繁殖的了解。我们的实验方法需要分析不同宿主(小鼠、猪、马、牛)的特定细胞类型在面对病原体、应激或其他疾病条件下所经历的细胞反应和生物过程。我们还评估了微生物的进化和环境适应，包括抗生素耐药性。因此，获得一种基于珠子的多路复用技术(称为“Luminex”)对于成功实现我们的研究目标至关重要。Luminex技术将微小的珠子颜色编码为100个不同的集合，从而可以在少量样本中快速、经济、准确地多路传输100种独特的生物检测方法。因此，通过这项技术，可以定量分析兽医领域的免疫分子、疾病标志物和其他代谢物。这项技术是保持我们在动物疾病和生殖研究领域的国际领先地位以及改进高素质人员培训的宝贵工具。产生的知识将有助于推动新型疫苗、改进的免疫疗法和诊断工具的开发。

The animal health and the meat/food processing industry have major impacts on the profitability of Canadian agriculture and ultimately the health of Canadian general public. The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (FVM) of the University of Montreal plays a leading role in research areas related to animal health, public health and environment impacts through the activities of internationally recognized research centers/groups, such as the Research Group on Infectious Diseases of Swine, 'Groupe de recherche et d'enseignement en salubrité alimentaire', 'Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique', Canadian Bovine Mastitis and Milk Quality Research Network, Animal Reproduction Research Centre, and 'Groupe de recherche en médecine équine du Québec'. These groups of fundamental and applied researchers share the same goals: to increase the knowledge on the mechanisms underlying diseases induced by prominent animal and zoonotic pathogens, to control the risks of food-born pathogens, and to improve the understanding of animal diseases and reproduction. Our experimental approaches require analysis of cellular responses and biological processes underwent by specific cell types from diverse hosts (mice, pigs, horses, cows) when facing pathogens, under stress or other disease conditions. We also evaluate evolution and environment adaptation of microorganisms, including antibiotic resistance. As such, the acquisition of a bead-based multiplexing technology (known as "Luminex") is of utmost importance to successfully achieve our research goals. Luminex technology color-codes tiny beads into 100 distinct sets allowing multiplexing 100 unique bioassays in little amounts of a sample rapidly, cost-effectively and precisely. Through this technology, quantitative assays of immunological molecules, disease markers and other metabolites in the field of veterinary medicine are thus possible. This technology represents a valuable tool for keeping our international leadership on animal disease and reproduction research areas and for improving the training of highly qualified personnel. Generated knowledge will help advance the development of novel vaccines, improved immuno-therapies and diagnostic tools.