The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) have launched a £12.5 million funding call to support the development of next generation veterinary vaccine technology platforms. Here, Sadhana Sharma (BBSRC, Head of Bioscience for an Integrated Understanding of Health) and Thom Erritt (Defra, Animal Health Science Oversight) highlight why strategic investment in veterinary vaccines is critical for animal welfare, public health, and global food security.
Vaccines are among the most cost-effective and efficient tools to safeguard health — whether in humans, livestock or wildlife. Beyond merely preventing disease, veterinary vaccines represent a cornerstone in addressing global challenges like food security, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the prevention of zoonotic disease spillovers to humans.
The innovative BBSRC-Defra programme, Engineer next generation veterinary vaccine technology platforms, aims to embed transformative technologies and a One Health approach in veterinary vaccine research. By leveraging groundbreaking advances in bioscience, technology, artificial intelligence and immunological data, this programme seeks to engineer next-generation "plug-and-play" vaccine technology platforms that are not only versatile but also efficient, safe, sustainable and scalable.
Why Veterinary Vaccines Matter
In a world grappling with pressing (re)-emerging infectious diseases challenges, veterinary vaccines play a crucial role:
- Boosting animal welfare and productivity: Healthy animals are more likely to stay well, pain free, produce more and are less likely to require antibiotics
- Ensuring food and nutrition security: Healthy livestock translates to better livelihoods and improved global food and nutrition security.
- Safeguarding public health: Preventing zoonotic spillovers and reducing reliance on antibiotics mitigates the global AMR crisis.
- Enabling a One Health approach: Veterinary vaccine research strengthens interconnected ecosystems of human, animal, and environmental health.
Engineering Next Generation Vaccine Platforms
A highlight of this joint BBSRC-Defra programme is the focus on engineering next generation technology platforms—versatile frameworks that adapt rapidly to diverse pathogens using novel genetic or protein sequences.
With standardised frameworks like the Platform Technology Master File (PTMF), the regulatory and administrative hurdles for vaccine development can be significantly reduced, ensuring rapid deployment against emerging or evolving threats.
Objectives
The programme aims to:
- Engineer next-generation vaccine platforms through embedding novel transformative technologies and bringing in new disciplines in veterinary vaccinology research.
- Evaluate and characterise these platforms to establish a scalable "plug-and-play" system.
- Embed a One Health agenda by fostering vaccine technologies that bridge animal and human health.
Expected Outcomes
The programme is poised to deliver transformational impacts:
- Effective, faster vaccine development: Enabling quick responses to outbreaks while advancing tools for endemic diseases.
- Expanded partnerships: Facilitating collaboration between academia (multi-disciplinary), industry and government.
- Enhanced preparedness: Providing global readiness to combat veterinary and zoonotic disease outbreaks, like avian influenza.
- Tackling AMR: preventing infections that would otherwise require antimicrobial treatments.
- Innovative tools and platforms: Boosting global competitiveness in the fields of immunology, vaccinology, and engineering biology.
Timely Action for Global Impact
The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the power of platform technologies to revolutionise vaccine development.1 The joint BBSRC-Defra Engineer Next Generation Veterinary Vaccine Technology Platforms programme now seizes the opportunity to channel these innovations into veterinary medicine, contributing to a healthier planet.
By investing in interdisciplinary partnerships and transformative technologies, this programme underscores the UK’s leadership in veterinary vaccinology, setting new benchmarks for global research and innovation.
The impact of this programme will foster a more resilient and health-secure world.
UK Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said:
“The UK remains dedicated to advancing veterinary science through the development of next-generation vaccine technology platforms.
“This collaborative initiative will bring together researchers from across disciplines to innovate and address unmet needs in veterinary vaccinology.”
You can read the full pre-announcement of the funding call on the BBSRC website. The call opens on 11 June, with an application deadline of 16 September 2025 at 16:00.
To support potential applicants in developing multi-disciplinary bids, the International Veterinary Vaccinology Network (IVVN) and the British Society for Immunology (BSI) are hosting an in-person workshop in Nottingham, UK on 24 June 2025. If you are interested in attending, please complete our Expression of Interest Form by 27 May 2025.
References:
- Sadarangani et al. 2021 Immunological mechanisms of vaccine-induced protection against COVID-19 in humans (published 01 July 2021)