Chickens have a hidden immune squad nobody knew existed — and it could remake poultry vaccines

Vaccines do not protect every chicken flock equally, and nobody fully knew why. Researchers at the University of Bristol Veterinary School and The Pirbright Institute in the UK have now found a missing piece: a population of immune cells in chickens, never identified before, that recognises a natural fat molecule called GM3 and races to coordinate the defence against bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli. Because this pathway is shared across breeds, it offers vaccine makers something precious — one target that works consistently across whole flocks, instead of results that vary bird by bird. 'It could provide a universal target for vaccines,' says postdoctoral researcher Nitin Kamble, with a bonus: stronger vaccines mean fewer antibiotics in farming. The study is published in the European Journal of Immunology.

SDG 9 · Industry, innovation and infrastructure — Mechanism: tech innovation