NEWS 20 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE July 2025 Although bird flu, or H5N1 influenza, had been primarily limited to wild migratory birds and sporadic outbreaks in commercial poultry operations, it was detected in U.S. dairy cows in March 2024. Since then, H5N1 has spread rapidly in dairy cattle across multiple states, and the industry has limited tools to protect their herds. Together, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research and Purdue University are investing $301,562 into a Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research (ROAR) grant to develop an H5N1 vaccine for dairy cows. While H5N1 does not have high mortality rates in dairy cows, the infection causes decreases milk production and milk quality, causing significant economic losses for farmers. The recent detection of H5N1 in humans, dairy cows and non-traditional host birds indicates that this virus poses new threats to other non-avian species. “The detection of avian influenza in dairy cattle, with risk of infection to dairy workers, underscores the need to develop effective vaccines for non-avian species. This rapid funding is providing the U.S. dairy industry with urgently needed tools to protect animal health, farmers’ livelihoods and consumers’ wallets,” says Miriam Martin, Ph.D., Scientific Program Manager. Read more>> The molecules that form the foundation of life on Earth are as diverse as they are complex. Among these, carbohydrates play a vital role as energy sources and in structural functions, such as forming cell walls. One class of carbohydrates, β-1,2-glucans, consists of glucose chains and is found in bacteria. These molecules are involved in various important biological processes, such as bacterial infection and environmental adaptation. Despite their biological significance, β-1,2-glucans are rare, compared to cellulose and laminarin, and structurally complex, making them particularly difficult to study. In a recent study published in Volume 34, Issue 6 of the journal Protein Science on May 24, 2025, researchers from Tokyo University of Science (TUS) made significant progress by identifying and characterizing new enzymes that break down glycan molecules. The team investigated a group of unclassified glycoside hydrolases (GH) related to known β-1,2-glucan-degrading enzymes in families GH144 and GH162. Through a combination of sequence, biochemical, structural, and phylogenetic analyzes, the team identified new phylogenetic groups that showed enzymatic activity toward β-1,2-glucans. β-1,2-glucanase (SGL) breaks down β-1,2-glucan into β-1,2-glucooligosaccharides. The study was conducted by a team at TUS, led by Associate Professor Masahiro Nakajima and supported by former doctoral student Dr. Sei Motouchi, with additional collaboration from Associate Professor Hiroyuki Nakai of Niigata University and Dr. Kaito Kobayashi of National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. Read more>> $301K grant funds H5N1 vaccine for dairy herds Scientists discover new enzyme families that break down rare bacterial carbohydrates Photo: FFAR
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