THIS GRANT PROPOSAL PRESENTS A SYSTEMATIC PLAN AND APPROACH TO CONTINUE TO ADDRESS THE VETERINARY IMMUNOLOGICAL REAGENT GAP IN THE USA AND OTHER COUNTRIES. A MAJOR OBSTACLE TO ADVANCES IN POULTRY IMMUNOLOGY AND DISEASE CONTROL IS THE LACK OF NECESSARY POULTRY IMMUNOLOGICAL REAGENTS. REAGENTS ARE NECESSARY (I) TO DETERMINE THE HOST'S RESPONSE TO INFECTIONS AND TO DEVELOP TREATMENTS TO PREVENT THESE INFECTIONS, AND (II) TO DEVELOP VACCINES AGAINST INFECTIOUS DISEASES TO IMPROVE POULTRY HEALTH. IN THIS PROPOSAL, WE PROPOSE TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF POULTRY (PRIMARILY CHICKENS), AN ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT AGRICULTURAL ANIMAL SPECIES WORLDWIDE. WITH INCREASING DEMANDS FOR HIGH QUALITY PROTEIN FROM POULTRY, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT TREATMENT STRATEGIES ARE DEVELOPED AGAINST POULTRY INFECTIOUS DISEASES SINCE ILLNESSES SLOW DOWN THE EFFICACY OF GLOBAL POULTRY PRODUCTION. CURRENTLY, THERE ARE TWO MAIN CHALLENGES IN POULTRY DISEASE CONTROL: 1) THE LACK OF POULTRY-SPECIFIC IMMUNOLOGICAL REAGENTS, SINCE MAMMALIAN REAGENTS DO NOT RECOGNIZE POULTRY PROTEINS, AND 2) THE LACK OF METHODS TO EFFECTIVELY MEASURE HOST IMMUNE RESPONSE TO MANY POULTRY INFECTIOUS DISEASES. CONSEQUENTLY, THERE ARE NO COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE METHODS TO MEASURE POULTRY IMMUNITY. SUCCESSFUL ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THIS PROPOSAL WILL HELP NEW KNOWLEDGE DISCOVERY AND A NEW SETS OF POULTRY IMMUNE REAGENTS AND DETECTION METHODS THAT WILL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT GLOBAL IMPACT IN SOCIETY (I.E., AGRICULTURE, HUMAN HEALTHCARE, FOOD SAFETY).