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Single-shot anti-fertility vaccine in pigs (2024–2025)

Abstract:
Boar taint is an objectionable odour correlated with androsterone (a male hormone) and skatole (a by product of intestinal bacteria in males and females) that is often perceived during the cooking of pork and can also affect the flavour of meat and is a major consumer complaint. For centuries, pigs have been castrated to prevent boar taint which limits productivity and increases animal welfare concerns of commercial pork production. This project AIMS to produce a fully defined, non-toxic, biocompatible and single-injection gonadotropin hormonereleasing hormone (GnRH) vaccine to provide long term effective hormonal control in pigs to reduce boar taint. This project EXPECTS to generate a single-shot vaccine that will produce long-term antibodies reducing sex hormones levels in pigs and allowing the liver to metabolise (break down) skatole more efficiently. Expected OUTCOMES of this project include the development of a pilot commercial single shot GnRH vaccine candidate, in addition to generating mechanistic data that can be used to develop GnRH vaccines in other mammalian species. The BENEFITS of a one shot anti-GnRH vaccine for pigs would potentially enable humane and sustainable production of high eating quality pork and ensure a more sustainable and environmentally friendly food production by reducing the amount of feed required and waste produced compared to castration-based systems as immunised pigs are more efficient at converting food into body weight.
Grant type:
Australia's Economic Accelerator Seed Grants
Researchers:

  • Dr Rachel Stephenson

    Senior Lecturer
    School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences
    Faculty of Science

  • Dr Mariusz Skwarczynski

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow
    School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences
    Faculty of Science
    Postdoctoral Research Fellow
    School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences
    Faculty of Science

  • Dr Gry Boe-Hansen

    Senior Lecturer
    School of Veterinary Science
    Faculty of Science
    Affiliate of Centre for Animal Scie
    Centre for Animal Science
    Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation

  • Professor Istvan Toth

    Professor
    School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences
    Faculty of Science
    Professor
    School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences
    Faculty of Science
    Affiliate Professor of School of Ph
    School of Pharmacy
    Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences
Funded by:
Commonwealth Department of Education