Innate Immune Gene Profiling of the Chick Embryo to Newcastle Disease Virus Infection. Gallus gallus

The project aims to characterize the innate immune response of the chick embryo in different breeds of chickens to NDV and determine if the innate immune gene expression is associated with the level of susceptibility of the specific breed to NDV. This will reveal gene targets that could be used to improve breeding strategies, by combining markers for both productivity and for disease resistance, to increase productivity of chickens for smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa.