Beefing Up Cattle Disease Detection Takes Students To France

A team of Kiwi students are taking their concept for a new device to detect a common infection in cattle to the world’s biggest synthetic biology competition.

A group of eight third-year Biochemistry students from Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) will travel to Paris in October to present their innovative work at the iGEM synthetic biology grand jamboree.

They are the only New Zealanders taking part and hope their concept for a new rapid detection device for Johne’s disease – a potentially deadly infection that currently costs New Zealand’s dairy industry up to $88 million a year in lost production – will win over the judges.

UC Bachelor of Science student Amy Dellow, who is part of the team, says current laboratory testing for Johne’s disease, which is caused by bacteria, can take up to two weeks to provide results.

“We’re aiming to provide them with accurate results within minutes or seconds using this device. Our method is to detect the pathogen that causes Johne’s disease using an engineered protein that produces light. The appearance of a light indicates a negative result; no light means infection is present.

“We believe the detection kit we’re working on, called LuMOO, will be faster and more cost-effective than what is currently on the market, making it more affordable for farmers. We hope it will also improve the welfare of affected animals and reduce suffering.”

Research suggests more than half of all dairy herds in New Zealand have had cases of Johne’s disease, which is chronic, contagious and incurable. The only way to manage it is by separating sick cattle from the rest of the herd. The UC team, which has sponsorship from Canterbury Grasslands Ltd, Craigmore Farms, and ANZCO foods, has visited local farmers to get insights into how the disease affects them and their stock.

UC Bachelor of Science student Joe Ramana, who leads the team dubbed UCiGEM, says they are thrilled about representing New Zealand at the iGEM competition, which attracts about 4000 attendees from 60 different countries.

“We’re very excited about presenting our research at iGEM – it’s incredible. It’s been a great opportunity to think for ourselves and go through the whole process of coming up with a project that tackled a problem relevant to New Zealand. Johne’s disease affects all ruminant animals, including sheep, so we’re very hopeful that our concept will be realised, and we can make a difference to farmers in New Zealand, and perhaps around the world.”

The UCiGEM team is now testing the concept and hope to have results confirming the effectiveness of the new device before they head to France in October. Meanwhile, the students have also been visiting local schools to talk about biochemistry and careers in science as part of their preparation for the competition.

Alongside Dellow and Ramana, the UCiGEM members are Isabel Bradley, Bree Drinkwater, Madeleine Barret, Myles Landon, William Oakley and Matthew Goodwin. The UC students are fundraising to cover the cost of the trip and have set up a givealittle page.

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