The proposed research and expected achievements will result in the adaptation of current diagnostics to new demands in terms of quality, costs and speed. In addition, the achievements will contribute to early stage diagnostic testing and harmonisation and validation of diagnostic tests, which use multiple diagnosis systems. Improved diagnostics in virology will have the knock-on effect of increasing the health and welfare of farm animals and reducing the antibiotic usage necessitated by secondary bacterial infections.
       The development of advanced multiplex PCR technology (fluorimeter-based) and novel viral nucleic acid detection methodologies that do not depend on thermocycling (Cleavase/Invader) will also facilitate the investigation of high number of samples at the same time without opening the tubes. Consequently, the risk of contamination could be minimised, the time needed for carrying out the tests will be reasonably shortened. Since the all these methodologies will contain carefully designed controls and will be standardised by the expert partner labs within the consortium their universal application across the EU should be assured.
       Based on the new technology to be introduced by this project in the field of veterinary diagnostics there will be a sound basis for further exploitations of these methods, such as investigation of other infections, genotype screening, etc.
The efficient use of multiplex diagnostics for farm animals will contribute to the success of the agrifood industry in the EU and assist in preservation of small and medium sized family farms as viable economic units within a rural environment, contributing to maintaining the rural infrastructure of EU member states.

 

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