Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Good animal health is essential for economically profitable animal husbandry. Healthy animals have strong rates of growth and can defend themselves from disease-causing organisms. One strategy to support healthy animals is through nutrition. The present project's aims are to increase bioavailability of micronutrients for important farmed animals, cattle in Alberta and rainbow trout in Ontario, to better support their growth and immune response. How do we plan on doing this? By conjugating selenium, dietary nucleotides, and innate immune stimulants (dsRNA) onto Phytospherix (PHX), an edible, food-safe nanotechnology that we have already shown enters cells efficiently and can function as a carrier. Experts in their respective fields will perform the proposed work. Dr. Anton Korenevski (ON, Mirexus) will lead a team to make the PHX-conjugates. Dr. DeWitte-Orr (ON, WLU) will investigate how these conjugates affect rainbow trout and cattle at the cellular level and rainbow trout at the whole animal level. Dr. Merle Olson (AB, AvetLabs) will perform the in vivo work in cattle. Dr. Edan Foley (AB, U of A) will begin studies to understand the mechanisms of action for the PHX-conjugates in the genetically tractable animal model, the fruit fly. Together this project provides a multi-faceted approach to quickly ascertain PHX's ability to function as a novel nutrition support platform; which will benefit Canada by supporting farmed animal health and promoting the technology development and subsequent growth of two companies within its borders.