PREVENTING AND CONTROLLING VIRAL DISEASES CORPORATE REPORT 2019 THE PIRBRIGHT INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2019 DIRECTOR’S WELCOME Cover image: © Professor Bryan Charleston, Director’s Welcome 3 Director A VISION About Pirbright 6 African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) FOR HEALTH are the primary carrier host of Our Expertise 8 foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) in African savannah Scientific Impact 10 ecosystems, where the disease is endemic. The cover image A Global Centre of Excellence 15 shows one of the captured buffalo housed in the veterinary facilities in Skukuza, Kruger Science for Everyone 16 National Park, South Africa. The studies showed some viruses Investment in the Future 18 persist for up to 400 days in buffaloes Working with Industry 21 Global Collaborations 22 Our Success Stories 26 Emerging diseases, particularly viruses that Pirbright is one of the few laboratories in and Zika – as well as carrying out research Developing Our Culture have the potential to cause pandemics in the world that has continued research on their livestock hosts and insect vectors. and Workforce 28 animals and humans, are a growing concern, into ASF over the past 20 years and we are All have epidemic potential and insufficient World Class Expertise 29 and international disease control agencies currently working to develop a vaccine as control measures, and our research will quite rightly recognise the need for funding well as testing antivirals for this devastating support the drive to be ready to respond. Pirbright Performance 29 in scientific research to combat these threats. disease. This highlights our position as a Work has already begun on developing a The viral diseases Pirbright studies pose global leader in the field of animal and human vaccine against Nipah for pigs; trials are Financial Performance 30 some of the world’s biggest threats, not just health, where our knowledge and expertise underway to test a more effective vaccine to animal health, but to food and economic inform policy on disease prevention and against Rift Valley fever; and we continue to security, so impacting on human health. control around the world. develop genetic engineering solutions to Pirbright’s unique combination of high The Institute has undergone significant control the spread of diseases like Zika and containment laboratories and animal facilities, change over the past ten years and has dengue by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. and expertise in biosafety and research received over £350 million of capital Much of our work is done in collaboration enables us to study many highly infectious investment from BBSRC UKRI to ensure it has with partners, both commercial and viruses, their hosts and the interaction the capacity to respond swiftly and effectively academic, and we are proud of the fact that in between the two. Foot-and-mouth disease to these global threats. We are now seeing the 2018-19 we were involved in 154 partnerships virus (FMDV), a highly infectious disease benefits of this investment as new specialist and networks across 53 countries. affecting cloven-footed animals, has a huge buildings come on stream and construction Our collaborative approach in sharing our impact globally and our research is facilitating commences on a high containment large scientific expertise is highlighted further with the development of a safer, cheaper and animal laboratory and a pathogen-free poultry the launch of the immunological toolbox, effective vaccine against multiple strains of facility. We continue to operate efficiently a web-based repository for antibodies, the disease, designed to improve animal and and cost-effectively compared to similar high reagents and information to advance human health. containment research facilities, delivering veterinary vaccine development through In 2018-19 African swine fever (ASF), a good value for UK Government. knowledge exchange and working together. deadly haemorrhagic disease of pigs, swept Our new laboratories will give us the Working with partners and engaging with through Eastern Europe and China resulting flexibility to respond to new and emerging the public and key stakeholders globally in the death of at least 150 million animals diseases, particularly those that spread remains a top priority to ensure we are well so far, threatening global food supplies and between animals and people (zoonoses). In positioned to respond rapidly and effectively causing economic hardship. It is still spreading preventing and controlling viral diseases of to outbreaks and protect the world’s health, throughout Asia. There is no vaccine or cure animals we are playing a key role in protecting food and economic security. and since this highly infectious virus can human health and furthering research in these remain viable in the environment for many viruses and tools to combat their spread, Professor Bryan Charleston Image: Cells infected with Director and CEO African swine fever virus (ASFV). weeks, controlling the disease relies on strict fulfilling the ‘One Health’ agenda. The Pirbright Institute Nuclear proteins in blue, biosecurity measures and culling. The Institute studies four zoonotic viruses endoplasmic reticulum highlighted by the World Health Organization proteins in red, early ASFV proteins in green as a priority for research – Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, Nipah, Rift Valley fever, The Pirbright Institute www.pirbright.ac.uk @Pirbright_Inst @ThePirbrightInstitute The Pirbright Institute REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 228824 REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 00559784 WWW.PIRBRIGHT.AC.UK | 3 THE PIRBRIGHT INSTITUTE THE PIRBRIGHT INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2019 THE PIRBRIGHT INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2019 THE PIRBRIGHT INSTITUTE OUR SCIENCE ABOUT Pirbright provides the UK with its capacity to predict, detect, understand and respond to PIRBRIGHT the threat of specific potentially devastating viral livestock diseases. We have two research programmes – one linked to the study of viruses, the other to the study of hosts – which are funded by BBSRC UKRI over a five-year period. One of Pirbright’s strengths is that it has the capability to study both viruses (particularly highly infectious viruses that must be studied under high containment) and the natural hosts (livestock and insects also under high containment), and the relationship between the two. Unusually Pirbright combines fundamental and applied research to develop a range of scientific methods to research and facilities at Pirbright have evolved our core capability grant. The Institute also OUR VISION prevent, diagnose and control these diseases. Pirbright’s purpose is to eliminate viral to provide the UK with its capability to prevent received grants from other funders including diseases of livestock and those that spread and control viral diseases of livestock. Wellcome Trust, the Bill & Melinda Gates PROGRAMME 1: ENHANCED HOST from animals to people (zoonoses). We receive The Pirbright Institute is an independent Foundation, Department for Environment, company, limited by guarantee and a Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Defence RESPONSES FOR DISEASE CONTROL strategic funding from BBSRC UKRI and work Professor John Hammond heads up the host registered charity, governed by a Board of Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). to enhance the UK’s capability to eliminate research programme which focuses non-executive Trustee Directors. Research at Our current Trustee Board members are: and control economically important diseases on immunology, genetics, the Institute is reviewed by an independent through highly innovative fundamental and entomology, vaccinology group of leading scientists who comprise the Chair: Professor John Stephenson applied bioscience. and bio-informatics to Science Advisory Board and whose role it is Trustees: Ian Bateman, Ian Black, Jon Coles, investigate host-virus interactions False colour electron to provide advice and guidance on science Professor Vince Emery, Roger Louth, micrograph of African swine from the perspective of the host. OUR VALUES strategy and direction. Dr Vanessa Mayatt OBE, Dr Sandy Primrose, fever virus (ASFV) infecting The Institute employs around 375 This includes virus vectors such as BBSRC UKRI provides capital funding for Sir Bertie Ross, Professor David Rowlands and a cell. ASFV in turquoise, staff, research students and visiting scientists, arthropods (mosquitoes, midges mitochondria in blue campus development and research funding Jane Tirard. and is situated in Pirbright, Surrey. We promote and ticks), host responses to viral for our two science programmes as well as a culture of openness and transparency which infection and the translation of this is underpinned by our core values which are: knowledge to develop new methods wellbeing. • Multidisciplinary immunological research The Institute is a world centre of excellence to enable detailed understanding of BBSRC National Vaccinology Centre: to control viral diseases. Passion – for the highest quality standards, The Jenner Building that ensures the UK remains prepared in the recognition and control of viral infection by event of a major viral disease outbreak of the natural host delivery and performance PROGRAMME 2: livestock.Pirbright’s capabilities include: • Facilities for infection of vectors with viruses Reliability – in everything we do: leadership, UNDERSTANDING AND • Next generation sequencing and in vitro learning, biosecurity, problem anticipation and PREVENTING VIRAL DISEASES containment of unexpected events Dr Toby Tuthill oversees the virus research • World-class