UK invests £54m to tackle biosecurity and develop animal vaccines

The UK government and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) have announced a £54 million investment to address biosecurity threats, including future epidemics, antimicrobial resistance, and the development of next-generation animal vaccines. The funding supports 18 new research and innovation projects aimed at protecting human, animal, and plant health.

As part of this initiative, a £4 million project led by The Pirbright Institute will focus on creating affordable and adaptable RNA vaccines for livestock. This collaboration involves the Roslin Institute, the University of Surrey, the National Measurement Laboratory, and CPI's RNA Centre of Excellence. The goal is to optimize a ‘plug-and-play’ mRNA vaccine platform to enhance food security and preparedness for zoonotic disease outbreaks.

The investment is coordinated through UKRI with co-funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).