Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP)

This work is funded by BBSRC for the period 2020-2023 and a University of Edinburgh’s enlightenment PhD studentship.

We will use mouse models, calf gut loop surgical models and enteroids (mini guts) to assess how MAP enters the host, and which mechanisms the bacteria uses to evade elimination.

The BBSRC-funded work is a joint project with the Moredun Research Institute. A Royal Highland Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) bursary also supported a student from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies (R(D)SVS) for a small research project.

Team members: Jo Stevens, Neil Mabbott, Ambre Chapuis, Omar Alfituri and Rosemary Blake

Team partners: Karen Stevenson and Jo Moore at Moredun Research Institute

Key references:

Hamilton, C. A., Young, R., Jayaraman, S., Sehgal, A., Paxton, E., Thomson, S., Katzer, F., Hope, J., Innes, E., Morrison, L. J., & Mabbott, N. A. (2018). Development of in vitro enteroids derived from bovine small intestinal crypts. Veterinary research, 49(1), 54. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13567-018-0547-5

Mathie, H. A., Jensen, K., Stevens, J. M., Glass, E. J., & Hope, J. C. (2020). Quantifying Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis infection of bovine monocyte derived macrophages by confocal microscopy. Journal of microbiological methods, 168, 105779. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mimet.2019.105779

Cow gut study could help tackle disease