Research Training Group 3051/1 "Assessment of Behaviour and Stress Responses to Understand and Improve Veterinary Infectious Disease Models"

While animal models remain essential in studying systemic infectious processes, immune responses, and evaluating therapies, refinement measures to reduce stress and improve welfare in experimental animals are underexplored. In this 3RTG, we will address the central hypothesis of these infections causing general stress responses and behavioural changes, which can be assessed on metabolic level or by video observation and artificial intelligence analysis, respectively. New insights into these stress responses and behavioural changes will increase our knowledge of the respective diseases whilst contributing to minimise the disease burden on the experimental animals. Our strategy will allow us to compare stress responses and behavioural data between different species and classes of pathogens, leading to important synergies by using standardised methods.

The 3RTG programme focuses on understanding host-pathogen interactions across species (mice, chickens, pigs, dogs) using well-established viral (e.g., Marek’s disease virus, Theiler virus, Hepatitis E), bacterial (e.g., Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus pseudintermedius), and parasitic (e.g., Heligmosomoides polygyrus, Giardia muris) infection models.