The study will see researchers from Scotland and Australia collaborate.

A £6m project will see researchers from institutions in Scotland and Australia collaborate to develop a new on-farm worm control vaccine for sheep.

The collaborative partnership will involve researchers at Scotland-based institutions the University of Glasgow, Moredun Research Institute and the James Hutton Institute, alongside an Australian university, the University of New England.

The institutions will be uniting to develop an effective vaccine for on-farm worm control, in an effort to combat the worldwide challenge of parasitism in sheep.

The research is concerned with parasitism by gastrointestinal nematodes, which are parasitic worms that live in the gut. Nematode infections can negatively affect the health and welfare outcome of affected sheep.

This is having a major impact on animal production worldwide. Parasitism is estimated to be costing the UK approximately £4 per lamb, through reduced weight gain and treatment costs. It is estimated to be costing the Australian sheep and goat industry more than AU$450m per year.

It is also having an environmental impact, as the production issues impact the greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. This may affect the livestock industry’s ability to reach net zero targets.

Nematode infections are often managed by chemical treatments, but resistance to the treatments can undermine the control options on farms in many areas of the world.

The researchers believe that developing a vaccine will allow for a more sustainable future for sheep farming.

Significant progress has already been achieved in the area, however the development of a commercial worm vaccine is still considered to be a long-term project.

The collaborative partnership, combining expertise in immunology, parasitology and vaccine formulation, and recent technological advances are expected to increase the chances of success.

The project is co-funded by each of the partners, with the Australian Federal Government matching the funding through the Meat & Livestock Australia Donor Company, reaching a total value of over £6m over five years.

Over half of the budget will be directed to the Scottish partners, as they aim to make the vaccine against the main gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep commercially exploitable.

Dr Alasdair Nisbet, the project lead from Moredun Research Institute, said: “We are delighted to be able to lead this international team to develop our nematode vaccine technology further and push towards a commercial product to help control this major issue in the sheep industry in the UK and beyond.”

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