The Pirbright Institute
A world leader in the research and surveillance of viral diseases of livestock and zoonotic viruses.
📍 Pirbright, Woking, UK
🔗 www.pirbright.ac.uk
- 🆕 Partnership to tackle Rift Valley fever (RVF) 🦟🐄 The Pirbright Institute, through the Centre for Veterinary Vaccine Innovation and Manufacturing (CVIM), has joined forces with GALVmed to develop and deploy a safer and more effective RVF vaccine for use in LMICs. ⬇️
- 🆕 Study reveals insights into the transmission patterns and risk factors of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) in sheep. CCHF is a severe tick-borne disease with a high mortality rate in humans and is a priority emerging disease by the World Health Organization (WHO) ⬇️
- 💉 As US RNA vaccine funding is cut, the UK is investing. A new collaboration between CVIM at Pirbright and CPI will accelerate the development of RNA vaccines for livestock, with broader benefits for human health, through a One Health approach. ⬇️
- Reposted by The Pirbright Institute🪲 Have your say! Vote for new Trustees at the RES ▶️ buff.ly/VyY6nOE @allanwatt.bsky.social @ukceh.bsky.social @uniexecec.bsky.social @britishecolsoc.bsky.social @liamcrowley.bsky.social @robin-hutchinson.bsky.social @pirbrightinst.bsky.social @forestresearchuk.bsky.social @nhm-london.bsky.social
- 🆕 Study evaluates three vaccine candidates for one of the world’s most dangerous viruses, the Nipah virus. An international team of scientists led by The Pirbright Institute achieves a breakthrough in controlling a deadly virus with pandemic potential ⬇️ #Zoonoses #Zoonotic #OneHealth
- 🔬🌎 We're proud to have signed the signed the Concordat for the Environmental Sustainability of Research and Innovation Practice. The concordat encourages coordinated efforts across the sector to reduce environmental impacts of research and embed sustainability into research culture and practice. ⬇️
- 🎊Congratulations to three talented researchers who have received prestigious awards recognising and supporting outstanding talent. Fellowships have been awarded to Dr Jamie Kelly and Dr Miguel Hernandez-Gonzalez and Dr Taissa Ricciardi-Jorge receives a Strategic Career Development Award (SCDA) ⬇️
- 🆕 Research offers hope for tackling one of the pig industry’s most costly diseases, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome. Pirbright scientists have successfully developed a novel modified live vaccine candidate using a centralised immunogen approach. ⬇️ www.pirbright.ac.uk/news/central...
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- 🏆 Congratulations to Professor John Hammond, our Director of Research, who has received the @britsocimm.bsky.social Diversity and Inclusion Award 2025. Read the story ⬇️
- Scientists at Pirbright have created gene-edited chicken cells that produce significantly higher yields of influenza A virus and Newcastle disease virus (NDV). 💉 These newly developed cell lines could help revolutionise vaccine production ⬇️
- 🔬 PhD studentship: We have an ILESLA–Pirbright studentship for an applicant with interests in virology, immunology and the use of transformative technologies for the diagnosis, study and prevention of viral diseases and immune responses. Deadline: 11 July 2025 ⬇️ iles.web.ox.ac.uk/ilesla-pirbr...
- JOB: Join a pioneering One Health research programme tackling global public health threats like influenza and coronaviruses. Our Mucosal Immunology group seeks a Postdoctoral Scientist. Apply now ➡️ www.pirbright.ac.uk/careers-and-...
- 🔬Did you know The Pirbright Institute offers international diagnostic testing for high-impact livestock diseases? We test for: - African swine fever - Bluetongue - Foot-and-mouth disease - Marek's ...and more. Full information and pricing ⬇️
- PhD opportunity: Understand how African swine fever virus (ASFV) interacts with the cellular immune response. This project is based at Pirbright and @royalvetcollege.bsky.social with an industry placement at @boehringerglobal.bsky.social Animal Health. 🔗 www.pirbright.ac.uk/careers-and-...
- 🎉 We're very proud to announce that our new Biorisk Advisor Training course has been approved by the @rsb.org.uk for continuing professional development (CPD) purposes. This marks a significant milestone for biosafety specialists seeking formal recognition of their skills.
- @pirbrightinst.bsky.social have a new Biorisk Advisor training course which is RSB-approved for CPD purposes & designed to meet the knowledge requirements of the Registered Biorisk Advisor pathway of the Biorisk Professional Registration Scheme. Find out more: www.pirbright.ac.uk/engage-with-...
- Read the story ⬇️
- 🆕 Research reconstructs the evolutionary history of an emerging foot-and-mouth-disease lineage in the Middle East, highlighting its potential to spread more widely in the region and beyond. Full story ⬇️
- JOB: Our Viral Gene Expression research group is looking for a Postdoctoral Researcher to join a project examining virus-host interactions between arboviruses and their mosquito vector. Full details and to apply ➡️ www.pirbright.ac.uk/careers-and-...
- How much should we invest in tackling animal diseases that cross borders and who should pay? 🐄🌍 Pirbright’s Dr Georgina Limon-Vega co-authored a new @fao.org handbook offering data-driven answers for FMD and other transboundary threats ⬇️
- Reposted by The Pirbright Institute🆕 Today, UKHSA and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) have confirmed the first detection of West Nile virus in mosquitoes collected in the UK. There is currently no evidence of wider circulation in birds or mosquitoes, and the risk to the public remains very low. 📰🔗 www.gov.uk/government/n...
- PhD studentship: African swine fever is a highly contagious disease in domestic pigs and wild boar. Over the past 20 years, the disease has spread across the globe. Investigate how African swine fever virus (ASFV) evades immune responses. Full details ➡️ www.pirbright.ac.uk/careers-and-...
- 🏆 We're delighted to have been awarded Leader in Openness status from @animalresearch.bsky.social! The award recognises the Institute’s commitment to the UAR Concordat on Openness on Animal Research in the UK. Full story ⬇️
- 🧬 We're proud to join a £10 million UK-wide collaboration to combat animal and plant diseases through advanced genome sequencing. The Genomics for Animal and Plant Disease Consortium (GAP-DC) uses genomics to enhance UK biosecurity. Full story ⬇️
- Why do some people experience severe lung damage from infections like SARS-CoV-2, while others have mild symptoms? 🐖 A new study led by Pirbright researchers uses pigs to investigate what drives differences in disease severity. Full story ⬇️
- A promising new vaccine candidate for African swine fever (ASF) is now being tested at Pirbright in partnership with The Vaccine Group. ASF is a contagious and deadly disease of pigs that is prevalent in many countries across Europe, Asia and Africa. Full story ⬇️
- Reposted by The Pirbright InstituteMarta Lopez-Nieto, Ioannis Smyrnias, Nicolas Locker @pirbrightinst.bsky.social and colleagues find that activation of the mitochondrial UPR regulates the dynamic formation of stress granules. journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/... #JCSMitoSI
- Our latest special issue is ‘Cell Biology of Mitochondria’. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be highlighting all the articles from this issue, which was guest edited by Ana Garcia-Saez and Heidi McBride @mitodynamics.bsky.social. Keep an eye on the hashtag #JCSMitoSI.
- JOB: Our T-Cell biology research group is seeking a Postdoctoral Scientist to investigate immune responses in livestock species, following infection and immunisation. More details and to apply ➡️ www.pirbright.ac.uk/careers-and-...
- We've officially broken ground on the new Centre for Veterinary Vaccine Innovation & Manufacturing (CVIM) 🎉 💉 CVIM aims to revolutionise animal health solutions by advancing vaccine development and biomanufacturing capabilities.
- The Centre is supported by @ukri.org BBSRC, Gates Foundation and the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office.
- After wages, power is The Pirbright Institute's largest expenditure. 💡 So what are we doing to generate our own power, increase energy efficiency and cut emissions? Our Energy Manager Dave Gillies spoke to Energy Manager magazine ⬇️ #EarthDay
- Reposted by The Pirbright InstituteSubmit your abstract on #infectiousdisease and #publichealth to ESCAIDE 2025 💡 Follow @escaide.eu on Bluesky to get the latest updates on Europe's leading public health conference 👇
- 🆕 Study by researchers at Pirbright, City St George’s, University of London and Imperial College London investigated how tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM) in the pig lung are maintained, revealing key insights that could help shape more effective, long-lasting respiratory vaccines. Full story ⬇️
- 📣 The One Health Vector-Borne Diseases Hub is hosting a free training workshop focused on informatics, data sharing, and analysis for vector-borne diseases. 📅 4 - 6 June 📍 Silwood Park, Ascot Full details ➡️ vbdhub.org/blog/trainin...
- A case of mpox (variant clade Ib) has been detected in England. Diagnosed in March, the individual had no travel history or known links to previous cases. Pirbright's Dr Jonas Albarnaz said "It was likely acquired via direct contact with lesions or contaminated surfaces." 🔗 @reuters.com ⬇️
- 🆕 Research explores the role of small ruminants and environmental contamination in the epidemiology and endemicity of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Full story ⬇️
- 🔬🍃 Organised by Pirbright and @lshtm.bsky.social, the recent inaugural UK Lab Management Biosciences Conference brought together laboratory managers and bioscience professionals from across the UK to champion sustainability in scientific research. Full story ⬇️
- Reposted by The Pirbright InstituteWhat is #researchculture and why does it matter? This complex topic was at the heart of last week's Connecting Research Culture Conference. Bringing together the #BBSRC Institutes, we explored wide-ranging areas including mental health and wellbeing, inclusion, and understanding neurodiversity.
- 🐷 At Pirbright, pigs play a crucial role in research, helping scientists understand viruses, how they spread, and to develop vaccines for major animal and human diseases. However, our research pigs don’t just participate in science, they also get VIP treatment from our Animal Technicians ⬇️
- Reposted by The Pirbright InstituteIt was a great first day yesterday for the #BBSRC Connecting #ResearchCulture Conference. As we kick off Day 2, we're starting with an interactive seminar on fostering a positive #culturechange, before a panel discussion exploring #wellbeing and #mentalhealth in research.
- JOB: We're seeking a Postdoctoral Scientist to join a collaborative project between Pirbright and the Moredun Research Institute aiming to develop novel vaccines against Haemonchus contortus, a major parasitic threat to ruminants. More details ➡️ www.pirbright.ac.uk/careers-and-...
- Reposted by The Pirbright InstituteThanks to everyone who's joining us today across the #BBSRC network and partner universities. #ResearchCulture @babrahaminst.bsky.social @ibers.bsky.social @quadraminstitute.bsky.social @johninnescentre.bsky.social @pirbrightinst.bsky.social @rothamsted.bsky.social @roslininstitute.bsky.social
- 🦠 High-risk viruses at the heart of Pirbright's research feature in a watch list of 24 infectious diseases that pose the greatest future threat to global health - published today by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The list includes Nipah, mpox, and chikungunya. Access the UKHSA tool ⬇️
- “It is too early to consider whether such virus is capable of onward spread within sheep but this was an isolated small holding with a small number of birds and sheep.” Pirbright's Prof. Ian Brown comments on the first case of avian influenza in sheep @the-independent.com ⬇️ #BirdFlu #H5N1
- 🐔 Elevate your expertise in poultry health! Designed for vets, technical staff, and poultry managers, our Poultry Health course will teach the clinical signs of poultry disease, diagnostics, biosecurity measures, and more. 📅 1 - 5 September 2025 Find out more and apply ⬇️
- Pirbright researchers are helping to strengthen ties in animal research and data science between Ghana and the UK. 🤝 The partnership, led by @roslininstitute.bsky.social and the University of Ghana, aims to develop Ghanaian local expertise in animal health ⬇️ #AnimalHealth #OneHealth
- Reposted by The Pirbright Institute📢 Join us at the upcoming @ukri.org One Health Computational Network Symposium #OHCN2025, we'll be discussing surveillance, AI's potential, genome epidemiology & public health. Connect with experts and help advance pandemic preparedness. Register now: bioinformatics.cvr.ac.uk/one-health-c...
- Reposted by The Pirbright InstituteThe international collaboration, backed by @who.int, will help make polio vaccines universally accessible, ensuring that all children are protected, no matter where they live. biologicalsciences.leeds.ac.uk/biological-s... @biology.ox.ac.uk @johninnescentre.bsky.social @pirbrightinst.bsky.social
- 🆕 The Centre for Veterinary Vaccine Innovation and Manufacturing (CVIM), based at Pirbright, has partnered with Quantoom Biosciences to accelerate mRNA and saRNA vaccine development for livestock ⬇️
- 🎉 After an incredible 40-year career, Pirbright researcher Dr Linda Dixon has been honoured at a special symposium. Linda is one of the most highly cited researchers in African swine fever virus (ASFV) and has provided critical knowledge that underpins disease control and vaccine development.
- JOB: We're looking for an Insectary Technician to support the maintenance and supply of nationally unique and internationally significant colonies of Culicoides biting midges. The Technician will be responsible for maintaining mosquito colonies. ➡️ www.pirbright.ac.uk/careers-and-...
- Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), also known as avian coronavirus, is one of the poultry industry’s biggest challenges. 🆕 Scientists at Pirbright are exploring new ways of developing vaccines that can be adapted across IBV strains and used in response to emerging ones. Read the story ⬇️
- Reposted by The Pirbright Institute"UKRI should be central to the future of the people in this country and beyond. I am excited to be joining an excellent team focused on improving the lives and livelihoods of UK citizens." www.ukri.org/news/profess... #AcademicSky
- 📣 Last chance to apply! 🦠 The BBSRC-funded Wessex One Health (WOH) Doctoral Landscape Award will train students in interdisciplinary approaches to Infection Biosciences across all classes of pathogens. Details and to apply (deadline 28 February) ➡️ www.surrey.ac.uk/bbsrc-wessex...
- 🦠 🐑 We're proud to be a leader in preventing and controlling viral livestock diseases. A newly published @ukri.org impact case study highlights our world-class research and facilities, supported by over £430m BBSRC investment. Read the case study ➡️ www.ukri.org/who-we-are/h...
- 🎉 Congratulations to Pirbright PhD student Jim Chadwick! 🌱 Jim received a Passion in Science Award from New England Biolabs for his work on energy efficiency and creating an allotment and community garden at the Institute. ➡️ www.pirbright.ac.uk/news/pirbrig...
- JOB: Our Mucosal Immunology group is looking for a Research Assistant to play a key role in developing viral-vectored vaccines designed to protect against influenza. Apply now ➡️ www.pirbright.ac.uk/careers-and-...
- JOB: Join our Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease Group and play a key role in unravelling the evolutionary mechanisms that enable high pathogenicity H5Nx avian influenza viruses to infect and persist in birds. Apply now to the role of Research Scientist ➡️ www.pirbright.ac.uk/careers-and-...
- “Best-case scenario, it’ll be a single-dose vaccine that an animal would receive relatively early in life that continues to have an effect, and the target is an absolute minimum of 30% reduction in methane emissions.” Read the story by CNN Climate ➡️ edition.cnn.com/climate/cows... #ClimateChange
- 👩🔬 Today on International Day of Women and Girls in Science, meet Pirbright scientist Dr Priscilla Tng. From studying fruit fly nervous systems to combat trauma, Priscilla’s career journey has been anything but ordinary. 🔗 www.linkedin.com/pulse/fighti... #IDWGS #WomenInScience
