Project Details
Projekt
Coordination Funds
Applicant
Professor Benedikt Bertold Kaufer, Ph.D.
Subject Area
Veterinary Medical Science
Term
since 2025
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 434524639
The chicken has played a pivotal role in advancing biomedical research, significantly contributing to cancer biology, virology, microbiology, and immunology. Beyond its role in research, chickens are among the most important sources of animal protein worldwide. A plethora of pathogens infect chickens and threaten animal welfare, food safety, and public health. To protect the animals from these diseases, chickens receive many vaccines and are considered the most vaccinated species on earth; however, the underlying immune responses remain poorly understood. The ImmunoChick Research Unit aims to advance our understanding of the adaptive immune system in chickens and its interaction with key pathogens. We will achieve this by leveraging our expertise and state-of-the-art technologies developed in the first funding period. These include TCR/BCR repertoire sequencing, MHC tetramers, pathogen-specific MHC peptides, and genetically modified chickens. We use these tools to dissect the roles of B cells, alpha ß and gamma delta T cell subsets in responding to important pathogens such as infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), avian influenza virus (AIV), Marek's disease virus (MDV) and Salmonella spp. We will achieve this in three specific aims. Aim 1 will assess the role of alpha ß and gamma delta T cell subsets in the adaptive immunity against important pathogens. Using TCR repertoire analysis, MHC tetramers, and genetically modified chickens lacking specific T cell subpopulations, we will dissect the contributions of these cells to the immune response, immune memory, pathogen clearance, and vaccine-mediated protection. In addition, we aim to identify key gamma delta T cell ligands and their roles in immune modulation and barrier integrity. Aim 2 focuses on understanding the roles of B cells (and T follicular helper cells, TFH) in immune responses, susceptibility to our pathogens, and vaccine protection in chickens. This includes analyzing B cell development, germinal center dynamics, antibody maturation, and the contribution of TFH cells to B cell function. Aim 3 will assess the role of type I and III interferons in regulating immune responses to MDV and AIV infections and vaccinations using recently generated type I and III interferon receptor knockout chickens. Taken together, this project builds on breakthroughs of the first funding period, is highly collaborative, and uses the complementary expertise of our PIs to tackle critical knowledge gaps and provide important insights into the avian immune system.
DFG Programme
Research Units
