GB-GOV-13-FUND--GCRF-BB_S011269_1 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY Urbanisation, accompanied by rising incomes, continues to lead increased demands for animal protein. Poultry meat and eggs are the biggest global source of protein for humans and a major challenge is to achieve sustainable expansion whilst reducing risk to health from 1) Epidemic Avian Influenza, 2) antimicrobial resistance, 3) foodborne zoonoses including Campylobacter, Salmonella and E. coli 4) Disruption of the natural chicken gut microbiome, leading to increased pathogen carriage. The research directly addresses UN Sustainable Development Goals 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero hunger) and 3 (Good health and well-being), and contributes also to 5 (Gender Equality) 6 (Clean water and sanitation), 9 (Industry, innovation and infrastructure), 11 (Sustainable cities and communities), and 12 (Responsible consumption and production) In South and SE Asia, poultry production is expanding rapidly and value chains are more diverse than in high-income settings. Intensification, in informal and organised poultry sectors, aims to produce cheap protein for families and for local, national and regional markets but it can also promote the generation of health hazards. High stocking densities, fast turnover, genetic homogeneity, complex transport and trading networks, live bird markets, poor biosecurity and inappropriate use of antimicrobials and vaccines all play roles in host-pathogen evolution and in selection of pathogen variants with increased virulence, vaccine and/or antimicrobial resistance and broadened host range. Through an iterative approach we will (1) establish specific causal connections between socio-economics, human behaviours, pathogen evolution and disease transmission, (2) identify 'nodes' of particularly high risk in poultry production chains and networks, and (3) test and evaluate interventions . Significant reductions in risk to human and animal health require holistic interventions (technical, behavioural and regulatory) designed for, and implemented across, all levels of production systems. By studying poultry value chains in four countries at differing stages of intensification (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Vietnam), we will achieve a deep and generalizable understanding of production factors that increase risk, including those that govern decision-making and behaviours along value chains. Using innovative methods that enhance existing microbiological, epidemiological and social science, we will contribute research-based evidence to support policies and systems that can meet anticipated demand whilst minimising adverse public health consequences. This includes designing interventions in well-characterised systems, evaluating their impacts, and generating research-informed models for resilient management of transition from lower to higher intensity systems. To ensure global relevance, we include settings that vary in their levels of intensification, as well as their epidemiological, socio-economic and cultural contexts. With an integrated vision, the Hub has a portfolio of scalable research and the capacity to play a strategic role in an innovative global agenda. We will explicitly build capacity for the interdisciplinary research that is essential for a Hub, and for supporting cross-sectorial collaborations at national and regional levels. Without effective stewardship by governments and transnational agencies and a greater understanding of the global political economy of chicken production, we hypothesise that the risk of deleterious outcomes of intensification will increase as poultry production continues to scale up dramatically and demand increased inputs, such as processed feed and antibiotics. The Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) supports cutting-edge research to address challenges faced by developing countries. The fund addresses the UN sustainable development goals. It aims to maximise the impact of research and innovation to improve lives and opportunity in the developing world. The fund addresses the UN sustainable development goals. It aims to maximise the impact of research and innovation to improve lives and opportunity in the developing world. DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL ROYAL VETERINARY COLLEGE DSIT previous reporting-org identifier DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY General enquiries enquiries@odamanagement.org https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-science-partnerships-fund-ispf Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, 22-26 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2EG Asia, regional 446553.25 3579660.14 2701021.95 2623666.87 2717308.01 247574.39 247574.32 789990.73 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 916838.07 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 916838.07 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 803114.18 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 803114.18 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 638064.61 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 638064.61 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 247574.39 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 247574.32 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 247574.32 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 247574.32 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 247574.32 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 247574.32 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 135011.95 247574.39 638064.61 638064.61 638064.61 803114.18 916838.07 916838.07 789990.73 900340.65 900340.65 900340.65 900340.65 893106.49 893106.5 893106.5 446553.25 18152563.31 GB-GOV-13-FUND--GCRF-BB_P024270_1 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY Ticks are bloodfeeding arthropods which, as well as causing direct damage to their hosts, transmit many diseases of livestock, companion animals & humans. Research into prevention and cure of these diseases, caused by viruses, bacteria, protozoa & filarial worms, is greatly assisted by the use of cell culture systems to study both how tick cells function, and how & why they transmit disease-causing pathogens. Such culture systems, called cell lines, have been developed for many disease-carrying ticks, but require special skills , much time and patience to establish and maintain. Seven years ago a central collection, the Tick Cell Biobank (TCB), was created for all the tick cell lines available now and in future. The TCB distributes tick cell lines (TCL) on request to scientists all over the world and provides essential training in their maintenance. The TCB also carries out characterisation studies on TCL, as very little is known about most of them, and is creating new cell lines from species of ticks not already in the collection. This proposal requests funding to secure the long-term future of the TCB as an essential resource underpinning UK and international tick & tick-borne disease research, expand the resource to include cell lines derived from other important arthropods such as biting midges, mites & honeybees, to give added value to the cell lines through characterisation, cloning and genome sequencing, ensuring that these unique and invaluable biological resources continue to be available to the scientists to use in biomedical, veterinary and agricultural research. Since the TCB was established in 2009 the crucial role played by TCL in research into ticks and the diseases they transmit has become increasingly clear. Interest in TCL and the methods used to generate them has spread to encompass pathogens transmitted by other arthropods such as mites, fleas and lice. With environmental and climate change driving the emergence of new vector-borne diseases, demand for cell lines derived from ticks and other arthropods is likely to continue to increase. This proposal includes generation of novel cell lines from ticks, mites and insects such as sand flies and midges both in-house and through dissemination of the required expertise to scientists in laboratories specialising in these arthropods. Establishment of TCL takes many years and requires specialised expertise, patience and, importantly, a stable background of laboratory support. The TCB has brought together almost all the TCL available worldwide into one repository and point of contact for supply of TCL and training in their maintenance (essential for successful transfer of TCL to recipient laboratories). TCB has been enormously successful over the past 7 years, generating 18 new TCL, supplying TCL to 71 recipient laboratories and training 80 young scientists representing 27 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, North & South America. This proposal includes a workpackage specifically aimed at raising the profile of, and improving access to, TCL and training in LMIC, by establishing outposts of the TCB in Malaysia, Kenya and Brazil. TCL from the TCB have already facilitated a wide range of studies, but much remains to be done. UK and global research has only scratched the surface of knowledge of these economically important and biologically fascinating parasites, their microbiota and the pathogens they transmit. Continued maintenance and expansion of the unique resource represented by the TCB, including genomic and molecular characterisation of TCL and generation of new arthropod cell lines, is essential to support this research now and for years to come. Primary intended benefits of this activity are to developing countries, ensuring that these unique and invaluable biological resources continue to be available to scientists who need to use them in biomedical, veterinary and agricultural research to tackle LMIC problems, with possible secondary benefits being wider. The Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) supports cutting-edge research to address challenges faced by developing countries. The fund addresses the UN sustainable development goals. It aims to maximise the impact of research and innovation to improve lives and opportunity in the developing world. The fund addresses the UN sustainable development goals. It aims to maximise the impact of research and innovation to improve lives and opportunity in the developing world. DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL DSIT previous reporting-org identifier DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY General enquiries enquiries@odamanagement.org https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-science-partnerships-fund-ispf Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, 22-26 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2EG Developing countries, unspecified 118611.84 172921.81 178926.46 166339.14 83032.11 120809.58 9638.33 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 9638.32 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 120809.58 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 40834.05 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 40834.05 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 40834.05 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 40833.02 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 40833.02 9638.32 9638.32 40505.83 40505.83 40505.83 40505.83 44821.65 44821.65 44821.65 44821.65 44461.51 44461.51 44461.51 44461.51 39537.28 39537.28 39537.28 39537.28 840640.94 GB-GOV-13-FUND--GCRF-BB_P027954_1 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY One Health is the concept that the health and well-being of people is linked to the health of their animals and the environment. It is nowhere more true than in the Horn of Africa (Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia) where many people's livelihoods are highly, or in some cases entirely, dependent on livestock. Animals are culturally, socially and economically vital in the region. Livestock provide, for example, over 60% of agricultural GDP in the Horn. Livestock are also a source of human disease. Outbreaks of disease in animals thereby directly affect people's health but also their wealth and nutrition. Livestock production and human health and wellbeing in the Horn of Africa can be increased through research, leading to improved agricultural systems; more food and less malnutrition; more financial resilience; and better detection, diagnosis, prevention and control of disease. HORN's mission is to improve the health and wealth of the people of the Horn of Africa by increasing the local capacity to undertake high quality research in the interactions between people and animals - One Health. HORN aims to develop a One Health Regional Network - a network of individuals and organisations across the Horn of Africa that can undertake high quality research into the link between people's health and wealth and that of livestock and the environment. HORN will strengthen the ability of organisations to undertake research with a 5 step process. (i) First, the current research capacity of the organisations will be assessed, relative to their goals; a plan will then be developed to bridge the gap, implemented, and progress will be monitored. (ii) Following from #1, training will be provided to non-academics in these organisations that have roles that provide the foundations for research: these could be leadership roles, technical roles or other roles, such as in finance or contracts or IT. (iii) Training will also be provided to academic researchers from the region. Workshops and short courses (2-5 days), 4-8 week masterclasses and summer schools will educate researchers in aspects of One Health, as well as providing the generic skills that underpin high quality research, like research methods, statistics, presentation, grantsmanship. An e-learning platform will enable a wider body of researchers to access the course material. (iv) Researchers will 'learn on the job' by undertaking research projects of 3-12 months duration. These projects will be co-created (by discussion and interaction with expert academics) at group events ('sandpits'), with successful ideas rapidly agreed and funded. Mobility of many researchers between countries is envisaged, with research focused in specific parts of Kenya and Ethiopia. UK researchers will be based in these countries too, following research programmes aligned with the development challenges, and providing supervision and mentoring to the researchers from the Horn countries. (v) By bringing people together, encouraging mobility and increasing the number of organisations who bid in for research projects, we intend to develop the One Health Regional Network for the Horn of Africa - HORN. The Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) supports cutting-edge research to address challenges faced by developing countries. The fund addresses the UN sustainable development goals. It aims to maximise the impact of research and innovation to improve lives and opportunity in the developing world. The fund addresses the UN sustainable development goals. It aims to maximise the impact of research and innovation to improve lives and opportunity in the developing world. DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL DSIT previous reporting-org identifier DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY General enquiries enquiries@odamanagement.org https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-science-partnerships-fund-ispf Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, 22-26 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2EG Eastern Africa, regional 499694.0 1942596.0 2008864.0 2520396.0 926749.3 22519.91 26481.67 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 26481.67 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 26481.67 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY -1315994.30 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 22519.91 -1315994.3 712301.32 26481.99 187965.99 987678.0 513658.0 509530.0 509530.0 504680.0 509530.0 497327.0 497327.0 497327.0 497327.0 473971.0 473971.0 265875.0 233819.0 7898299.3 GB-GOV-13-FUND--GCRF-BB_T008946_1 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY The United Nations have declared 2016 to 2025 as the decade of action to eradicate all forms of malnutrition worldwide; ensuring access to healthier and more sustainable diets for all, regardless of location and whoever they are. This brief also encompasses the double burden of malnutrition now facing most societies and characterised by the coexistence of undernutrition along with overweight, obesity or diet-related noncommunicable disease (NCDs). The proposed project "NUTRIFOOD" will improve the nutritional quality of diets in West Africa by identifying new nutritionally enhanced varieties of tomato, amaranth, cassava and yam; incorporating these fruits and vegetables and their derived products into the food systems will diversify the existing food basket and provide improved quality. The project will draw upon global resources and expertise, utilising unique germplasm. The tools and resources developed are generic in nature and although our focus will be Nigeria and Benin in West Africa the findings can be translated across other SSA countries and Low Medium Income countries globally. Fruit and vegetables are rich in provitamin A. One of our key performance indicators will be the provision of foodstuffs with the potential to reduce Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD). VAD is widespread in low-income countries and prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where 83% of children aged 2 to 5 years exhibit VAD. As a result of this malnutrition, 500,000 cases of blindness and 1.25 million deaths occur annually. With this aim, NUTRIFOOD will focus on high provitamin A fruits and vegetables as well as the high caloric staple crops cassava and yam biofortified with provitamin A and other nutrients The processing approaches used will potentially create storable products with improved nutrient uptake. As vitamin A is essential for well-being in the first 1000 days of life and the development of children, schools and households will be target in NUTRIFOOD. In Benin and Nigeria nutritional interventions in schools will be carried out. NUTRIFOOD will also target Colombia, specifically the rural Orinoquia and Amazonia regions where VAD is clinical, and implement a scaling-up of provitaminA cassava and its processed products. Potentially, these studies could contribute to the alleviation of VAD and improved cognitive development in infants. Modern communication technologies and approaches will be used to communicate the advantages of healthy diets and how to generate healthy diets in a cost-effective manner. The consortium will carried out a series of workshops to which multi-actors across the supply chain will be invited. With, scientists, NGO representatives, policy makers, parents (mothers) and civil organisations involved co-design approaches to the implementation of healthy diets will be attempted and promoted. The Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) supports cutting-edge research to address challenges faced by developing countries. The fund addresses the UN sustainable development goals. It aims to maximise the impact of research and innovation to improve lives and opportunity in the developing world. The fund addresses the UN sustainable development goals. It aims to maximise the impact of research and innovation to improve lives and opportunity in the developing world. DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL ROYAL HOLLOWAY, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON DSIT previous reporting-org identifier DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY General enquiries enquiries@odamanagement.org https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-science-partnerships-fund-ispf Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, 22-26 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2EG Developing countries, unspecified 82380.56 330189.53 141089.15 373791.53 11393.45 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy 11393.45 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy 72165.42 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy 72165.42 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy 72165.42 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy 72165.42 DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY 72165.42 DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY -157295.37 DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY -157295.37 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY -157295.37 72165.42 72165.42 11392.99 11392.99 35255.32 83047.85 83047.85 82380.56 82380.56 164761.12 927450.77 GB-GOV-13-FUND--GCRF-BB_R020655_1 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY Malnutrition affects one in three people on the planet, with 2 billion people being deficient in one or more micronutrients. In Sub-Saharan Africa malnutrition is a chronic problem. The sustainable production and consumption of biodiverse nutritious horticultural crops provide a key part of the solution to this problem. There are many indigenous vegetable species that are grown in Africa and sold in local markets, mainly by female producers, as a source of income to alleviate their poverty. However, many of these crops are under-researched and their full potential has not been realised. African eggplant, Solanum aethiopicum, is such a crop. It is widely consumed across both West and East Africa as a leafy vegetable and also as a fruit. Solanum aethiopicum is closely related to Solanum melongena, aubergine/eggplant, and to tomato, Solanum lycopersicum and potato, Solanum tuberosum. Similar to these Solanum species, the availability of soil water and the health of the soil, as defined by the presence or absence of diseases, will greatly affect productivity and nutritive content. There is therefore an immense potential to improve the production of African eggplant through better water management strategies, improving soil health and growing varieties that are more resilient to water stress. Here we will adopt two major approaches to maximise African eggplant production: 1) developing new plant and crop management strategies to improve production; 2) characterise the genetic diversity towards identifying more drought resilient accessions of African eggplant. To inform best practice for irrigating African eggplant we will characterise the current commercial varieties' responses to a range of soil water deficits. Under controlled conditions we will identify the range of soil matric potentials and volumetric water contents that support optimum yields and nutritive quality. We will test the potential of using hyperspectral imaging to identify the onset of plant water stress and its use as a tool to identify water resilient lines. Responses to soil water deficits will be further investigated in pot experiments in Africa prior to testing in the field. We will also determine if nursery plants can be primed for a greater resilience to soil water stress and soil health before planting in the field. This will be done by using a mild wilting stress and the use of arbuscular mycorrhiza to induce better plant performance. Our final plant management strategy is to improve soil health. First we will characterise the DNA present in the soil on African farms to gain understanding of the microbes present and thus soil health. This will inform which soil amendments will have greatest potential to improve soil health, and these will be tested on the farms. We will assess the effect of these management practices on African eggplant productivity and take into account the economic cost and farmer preference towards generating best practice guides. At the same time as improving crop management we will characterise the extensive germplasm in our collection. To gain understanding of the potential diversity we will resequence the genomes of 20 accessions and identify the variation. We will multiply the seed in our collection and evaluate, in association with farmers, 160 accessions in drought-prone areas and characterise which lines are more resilient to low soil water availability. Based on farmer feedback we will phenotypically characterise in more detail the preferred accessions and initiate crosses of the best performing lines to advance current breeding programmes. To help inform breeding efforts, we will characterise a population of African eggplants that segregate for their ability to grow under increasing soil water deficits. We will identify molecular markers that are linked to better drought resilience that can be deployed in the breeding programmes. The Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) supports cutting-edge research to address challenges faced by developing countries. The fund addresses the UN sustainable development goals. It aims to maximise the impact of research and innovation to improve lives and opportunity in the developing world. The fund addresses the UN sustainable development goals. It aims to maximise the impact of research and innovation to improve lives and opportunity in the developing world. DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURAL BOTANY DSIT previous reporting-org identifier DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY General enquiries enquiries@odamanagement.org https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-science-partnerships-fund-ispf Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, 22-26 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2EG Eastern Africa, regional 353592.96 474321.44 478163.45 119781.27 17585.53 119781.27 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 119781.27 DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 17585.53 57820.26 119781.47 119781.47 119781.47 118819.04 118819.04 118819.04 118819.04 117864.32 117864.32 117864.32 117864.32 1425859.12