BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS IS A CONTAGIOUS DISEASE CAUSED BY A BACTERIA (MYCOBACTERIUM BOVIS) THAT IS TRANSMISSIBLE AMONG ANIMALS AND HUMANS. IT IS ASSOCIATED WITH DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES TO AGRICULTURE AND PUBLIC HEALTH. IN THE US A WILDLIFE RESERVOIR OF BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS HAS MEANT AN ALARMING INCREASE IN ITS INCIDENCE IN CATTLE IN RECENT YEARS. GLOBAL TRADE AGREEMENTS HAVE ALSO RESULTED IN THE IMPORTATION OF UNTESTED TUBERCULOUS ANIMALS INTO THE US. EXISTING DETECTION STRATEGIES FOR TUBERCULOSIS IN IMPORTED ANIMALS AND LOCAL WILDLIFE--THE TUBERCULIN SKIN TEST (DONE ON THE ANIMAL ITSELF) COUPLED WITH A LAB-BASED INTERFERON-G RELEASE ASSAY--ARE WOEFULLY ILL-EQUIPPED TO TACKLE A PROBLEM OF THIS MAGNITUDE. EXISTING STRATEGIES HAVE NOT BEEN TESTED ON WILDLIFE SPECIMENS ARE LABOR INTENSIVE SUFFER FROM LOW SENSITIVITY AND ARE UNAVAILABLE IN REMOTE FARMING AREAS IN THE US. DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WHERE BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS IS RAMPANT ALSO URGENTLY NEED BETTER WAYS TO QUICKLY IDENTIFY TUBERCULOSIS IN CATTLE.OUR PRELIMINARY STUDIES SHOW THAT CERTAIN CIRCULATING PROTEIN MOLECULES (PEPTIDES) FOUND IN THE BACTERIA CAUSING TUBERCULOSIS (MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS COMPLEX) CAN BE USED AS BIOMARKERS OF SUBCLINICAL TUBERCULOSIS IN CATTLE. WE HAVE DISCOVERED AND VALIDATED 16 M. BOVIS-SPECIFIC PROTEINS IN SERA (BLOOD) OF INFECTED ANIMALS. IN THE PROPOSED STUDIES WE WILL DEVELOP DNA MOLECULES (APTAMERS) SPECIFIC TO 3 OF THE 16 M. BOVIS SPECIFIC PEPTIDES TO DEVELOP A LATERAL FLOW ASSAY SYSTEM FOR ANIMAL-SIDE (PEN-SIDE) DIAGNOSIS OF BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS. TWO AIMS ARE PROPOSED (1) DEVELOP DNA APTAMERS AGAINST 3 BIOMARKERS FOR SUBCLINICAL TUBERCULOSIS (TB) INFECTION AND (2) VALIDATE 3 M. BOVIS SPECIFIC PEPTIDES IN AN APTAMER AND ANTIBODY BASED ANIMAL-SIDE DETECTION SYSTEM. THESE STUDIES ADDRESS A HERETOFORE-UNEXPLORED AREA OF BOVINE TB-SPECIFIC BIOMARKER DISCOVERY AND APTAMERS FOR ANIMAL TUBERCULOSIS. AT COMPLETION WE ANTICIPATE PROVIDING A RAPID LATERAL ANIMAL SIDE DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM FOR TUBERCULOSIS.