Animal health research receives cash injection from Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Development Fund

The funding is part of a larger $6.94-million investment in livestock and forage research across Saskatchewan and Western Canada, which was announced on January 29. The federal-provincial dollars — along with an additional $216,055 contributed by four industry partners — will support 30 research projects.

USask research teams will receive more than $6.1 million from the 2025 funding, including over $1.47 million for research initiatives based at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), Prairie Diagnostic Services Inc. (PDS) and the Prairie Swine Centre (PSC).

Saskatchewan’s ADF is supported through the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership (CAP), an investment of $3.5 billion over five years from federal, provincial and territorial governments with the goal of supporting Canada’s agri-food and agri-product sectors.

One of the approved ADF projects was a $375,000 grant to support undergraduate student projects in food animal research at the WCVM over the next five years. The grant directly funds the experiential learning and training of students supervised by WCVM faculty who have an interest in production animal studies.

“This program has been very beneficial for helping veterinary students gain experience in research and working with livestock,” says Tera Ebach, a research analyst at the WCVM. “It’s also allowed us to build a partnership with the federal and provincial governments and work toward a strong future of sustainability in Canadian agriculture.”

The WCVM first received a five-year ADF grant in support of its undergraduate research program in 2014, followed by a second five-year award in 2019. During the latest five-year period (2019-24), 56 students received funding to work with WCVM faculty members in comprehensive research programs.

The list of diverse food animal research projects includes studies on bovine respiratory disease (BRD) pathogens and antimicrobial resistance in beef cattle feedlots, the cryopreservation of germ plasm from bison species, and the productivity of honey bee colonies in relation to crop and pollen diversity in Saskatchewan.

During the previous five-year grant period, Ebach says each student received an average of $7,500 to cover the direct costs associated with their summer projects.

“It’s quite significant in terms of giving students strong support to complete their research studies,” says Ebach. “Our aim is to support an average of 10 projects per year for the next five years. Many of our research grants cover the stipends of the projects, but this ADF funding actually supports the direct costs of research.”

Those costs include knowledge transfer between gathering research data and finding accessibility for researchers and practical applications. It also includes the costs of using USask research facilities and resources.

Ebach says the program has been very successful in enhancing the education of future veterinarians. It also encourages post-graduate training and specialization in food animal species that will benefit the agriculture industry.

“Many of the veterinary graduates who received this ADF funding [during their DVM program] have gone on to work directly with livestock in large animal and mixed animal practices,” points out Ebach. “We’re hoping to see those numbers increase as we look forward to the next five years of the grant.”

Project: Impact of micronutrient supplementation on response to vaccination in feeder calves
Principal investigator: Dr. Cheryl Waldner, SERC/BCRC Industrial Research Chair in One Health and Production-Limiting Diseases and professor, WCVM Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences
ADF funding: $167,898
Co-funded by Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association

This study examines how different micronutrient supplementation strategies affect the response of feedlot calves to bovine respiratory disease (BRD) vaccines. Researchers will investigate how adequate levels and concentrations of micronutrients alter immune responses, potentially providing new insight into reducing the severity and amount of BRD cases. The study also looks at how micronutrient supplementation influences the risks of developing BRD, detection of BRD pathogens and calves’ average daily gain (ADG).

Project: Effect of isoflavone supplementation on hemodynamic responses of ergot-exposed cattle
Principal investigator: Dr. Vanessa Cowan, assistant professor, WCVM Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences
ADF funding: $274,700

This study looks at how ergot alkaloids in feed affect the vascular functions of cattle to determine whether supplementation with isoflavone can help reduce these effects. Cowan will examine vascular changes in cattle hoofs within the first week of feeding ergot and then study longer-term effects after one month. The research also checks if these outcomes continue after ergot is removed from the feed and test if isoflavone supplementation can offset these vascular issues.

Project: Safety and efficacy of overwinter miticide treatments for honey bee colonies in Western Canada
Principal investigator: Dr. Sarah Wood, WCVM Research Chair in Pollinator Health and associate professor, WCVM Department of Veterinary Pathology
ADF funding: $306,500

This project's main objective is to determine the safety of overwinter miticide treatments for worker honey bees and queens, specifically for varroa mites. It also involves the anti-varroa efficacy of oxalic acid, formic acid, amitraz and their combinations applied during the midwinter brood break in both outdoor- and indoor-overwintered colonies in Western Canada. The anticipated outcome is an enhancement of varroa control in the beekeeping industry, thereby minimizing overwinter colony losses and improving the production and quality of honey and honey bee pollination services.

Project: Toward controlling ear-tip necrosis in pigs
Principal investigator: Dr. Matheus Costa, associate professor, WCVM Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences
ADF funding: $120,000

This study aims to refine an infection model for use in trials evaluating potential interventions for ear tip necrosis in pigs. The model will be fine-tuned to better simulate the condition and allow for more accurate testing of treatments. The research also focuses on developing and testing a vaccine to prevent ear tip necrosis, assessing its effectiveness in preventing the disease.

Project: Lab to farm: developing a Streptococcus zooepidemicus vaccine into a practical tool
Principal investigator: Dr. Matheus Costa, associate professor, WCVM Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences
ADF funding: $120,000

This study explores the effectiveness of developing a Streptococcus zooepidemicus vaccine across various species of veterinary interest, expanding its potential applications. A dose-titration study will be conducted to assess different vaccine doses and determine the most effective and safe levels for use in animals. The goal is to make this vaccine a viable option for preventing infections caused by S. zooepidemicus in multiple animal species.

Project: Experiential discovery and learning through research in food animal veterinary medicine
Principal investigator: Dr. Lynn Weber, WCVM associate dean (research and graduate studies) and professor, WCVM Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences
ADF funding: $375,000

This program has provided students in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program with experiential learning in production animal research. It increases research capacity for current veterinary students and allows for post-graduate training and specialization in food animal species that will strengthen the Canadian agriculture industry.

Project: Characterization of behaviour and physiology traits related to chronicity and recovery of feedlot cattle with induced bovine respiratory disease (BRD)                                                                                                                                  
Principal investigator: Dr. Diego Moya, assistant professor, WCVM Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences
ADF funding: $60,022
Co-funded by Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association

This study assesses the effects of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) on feedlot cattle in areas of behaviour, growth performance and rumen acidosis. Additionally, the study evaluates the effects of BRD on carcass traits, helping to understand the disease’s long-term consequences on both animal welfare and meat production.

Project: Investigation of risk factors for increased sow mortality in Canadian herds and identification of potential mitigation strategies

Principal investigator: Dr. Yolande Seddon, USask Chair in Swine Welfare and associate professor, WCVM Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences
ADF funding: $199,745

This study aims to investigate sow mortality rates in Canadian swine herds. The research will analyze risk factors contributing to increased sow mortality across a sample of Canadian farms and review existing mitigation strategies for effectively reducing sow mortality rates. The goal is to improve sow health and welfare, leading to more sustainable and productive swine farming practices.

Project: Field screening test to differentiate risks of anthrax and expedite diagnostic investigation of sudden deaths in livestock
Principal investigator: Dr. Yanyun Huang, veterinary anatomic pathologist and CEO, PDS, and adjunct professor, WCVM Department of Veterinary Pathology
ADF funding: $177,443
Co-funded by Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association

This study focuses on designing and evaluating field test assays to identify anthrax in livestock. The goal is to develop tests that can differentiate between anthrax and other causes of sudden death, enabling faster and more accurate diagnosis. The research compares the performance, reliability and cost-effectiveness of various assay options.

Project: PanViroSeq, an improved and more affordable sequencing method for virus detection, and its application in swine abortions
Principal investigator: Dr. Yanyun Huang, veterinary anatomic pathologist and CEO, PDS, and adjunct professor, WCVM Department of Veterinary Pathology
ADF funding: $275,000

This study focuses on the development of PanViroSeq, a new and cost-effective sequencing method for detecting swine viruses. The tool is designed to enhance the identification of viral causes in undiagnosed swine abortion cases. By utilizing PanViroSeq, the goal is to improve the accuracy and efficiency of virus detection in swine herds, providing improvements over current diagnostic methods.

Project: Enhancing emergency preparedness using process analytical tools (PAT) for vaccine manufacturing
Principal investigator: Dr. Volker Gerdts, director and CEO, VIDO, and professor, WCVM Department of Veterinary Microbiology
ADF funding: $392,517

This project focuses on increasing VIDO's vaccine manufacturing capabilities using advanced process analytical tools (PAT) such as Raman spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) equipment. These tools will be integrated into new phases of the vaccine production process, enhancing process development, scale-up and biomanufacturing. The expanded capacity will enable VIDO to investigate disease pathogens and manufacture vaccines and therapeutics to help control infectious diseases, including those that cause pandemics. VIDO will also contribute to Cnada's Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) Vaccine Bank, enabling rapid and cost-effective vaccine production during outbreaks, supporting animal disease prevention and management.

Project: Testing Escherichia coli (E. coli) virulence in chickens and development of a vaccine
Principal investigator: Dr. Aaron White, research scientist, VIDO
ADF funding: $123,000

This study will investigate the virulence of E. coli strains isolated from Saskatchewan broiler farms. The research will focus on understanding the role of specific genes in the virulence of these strains and work to develop and test a vaccine targeting conserved outer membrane proteins of E. coli.

Click here to read the USask news release.