Institute for Animal Health
| Institute for Animal Health | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | IAH Pirbright, IAH Compton |
| Formation | 1987 |
| Legal status | Government-funded research institute (registered charity) |
| Purpose/focus | Farm animal health and diseases in the UK |
| Location | Compton Laboratory, Compton, Newbury and Pirbright Laboratory, Ash Road, Pirbright |
| Region served | UK |
| Membership | Around 400 government bioscientists |
| Director | Professor John Fazakerley |
| Main organ | BBSRC Council |
| Parent organization | BBSRC |
| Affiliations | Babraham Institute, DEFRA |
| Budget | c.£30m |
| Website | IAH |
The Institute for Animal Health is a research institute in the United Kingdom dedicated to the study of infectious diseases of farm animals. It forms part of the UK government's Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The institute employs many scientists and vets, along with a handful of PhD students.
Contents |
[edit] History
It began in 1913 to test cows for tuberculosis. More buildings were added in 1925. Compton was established by the Agricultural Research Council in 1937. Pirbright became a research institute in 1939 and Compton in 1942. The Houghton Poultry Research Station at Houghton, Cambridgeshire was established in 1948. In 1963 Pirbright became the Animal Virus Research Institute and Compton became the Institute for Research on Animal Diseases. The Neuropathogenesis Unit (NPU) was established in Edinburgh in 1981. This became part of the Roslin Institute in 2007.
In 1987, Compton, Houghton and Pirbright became the Institute for Animal Health, being funded by BBSRC. Houghton closed in 1992, operations at Compton are being wound down with the site due to close in 2013.
The Edward Jenner Institute for Vaccine Research was sited at Compton until October 2005.
There are incipient plans to build a new National Centre (for viruses) at Pirbright.
[edit] Structure
Compton works on endemic (commonplace) animal diseases (mainly tuberculosis and salmonella), and Pirbright works on exotic (unusual) animal diseases (usually caused by virus outbreaks). Pirbright has National and International Reference Laboratories of diseases.
[edit] Funding
25% of its income comes from a core grant from the BBSRC of around £11m. Around 50% comes from research grants from related government organisations, such as DEFRA, or industry and charities (such as the Wellcome Trust). The remaining 25% comes from direct payments for work carried out.
[edit] Farm
The Institute has a 780 hectare farm at Compton in the Pang Valley. There are 480 Friesian Holstein cows and a flock of Dorset sheep. These animals are involved in research. The genotypes of the animals are known.
[edit] Function
It mostly investigates viruses carried by animals, of which rabies is a well-known type, although not in farm animals. Anthrax is a bacterium. Understanding of viruses comes from molecular biology.
It carries out surveillance activities on general animal health in the UK, and spread of disease.
[edit] Location
The institute has campuses at:
[edit] See also
- 2007 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak
- World Organisation for Animal Health
- Bluetongue disease
- Veterinary Laboratories Agency
- Animal Health (DEFRA's related government agency)
[edit] External links
- Organisations based in Berkshire
- Organisations based in Surrey
- Organisations based in Edinburgh
- Veterinary research institutes
- Agriculture in the United Kingdom
- Research institutes in the United Kingdom
- Genetics or genomics research institutions
- Agricultural research institutes
- Biotechnology organizations
- Microbiology related organisations
- Animal virology
- Research institutes established in 1987
- Animal health in the United Kingdom
