BACTERIAL INFECTION OF THE MAMMARY GLAND IN DAIRY CATTLE CAUSES MASTITIS, A DISEASE THAT ACCOUNTS FOR INCREASED COSTS TO NORTH AMERICAN DAIRY PRODUCERS THAT ARE ESTIMATED AT US$2 BILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS INCREASED COST ARE LOST MILK PRODUCTION, INCREASED COSTS OF TREATMENTS AND DEATH OF ANIMALS INFECTED ESCHERICHIA COLI BACTERIA. OVER 60% OF CATTLE SHOWING SIGNS OF ILLNESS FROM MASTITIS ARE INFECTED WITH ESCHERICHIA COLI BACTERIA. CURRENT TREATMENTS ARE NOT RELIABLY EFFECTIVE, WITH OVER 25% OF THE INFECTED COWS DYING OF SEVERE CLINICAL DISEASE. THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO IDENTIFY ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS THAT CAN IMPROVE THE PROGRESSION AND SEVERITY OF DISEASE IN MAMMARY GLAND INFECTION WITH ESCHERICHIA COLI. IMPROVED TREATMENTS WILL IMPROVE ANIMAL WELFARE AND HELP WITH THE REDUCTION OF ANTIBIOTIC USE ON DAIRY FARMS, OF WHICH MASTITIS IS THE MAJOR REASON FOR ANTIBIOTIC USE.THE PROJECT WILL BE CONDUCTED USING A COMBINATION OF LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS AND ALSO LIVE ANIMALS THAT WILL BE EXPERIMENTALLY INFECTED WITH ESCHERICHIA COLI BACTERIA TO RECREATE THE NATURAL MASTITIS DISEASE CONDITION. THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO DEFINE THE SPECIFIC ROLE OF PATHWAY NOT PREVIOUSLY EXPLORED, KNOWN AS THE CYTOCHROME P450, IN DAIRY COWS WITH ESCHERICHIA COLI INFECTION. IDENTIFYING THE CYP450 WILL LEAD TO IMPROVED TREATMENTS, IMPROVE ANIMAL WELFARE, AND DECREASE THE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS IN ANIMAL AGRICULTURE. REDUCING THE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS MAY DELAY OR LIMIT THE DEVELOPMENT OF RESISTANCE TO MEDICALLY IMPORTANT ANTIBIOTICS USED IN HUMAN HEALTH.