INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN LIVESTOCK LEAD TO SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL INSTABILITY, LOSS OF LIVELIHOODS AND FOOD SECURITY. RECENT ANECDOTAL AND FIELD DATA ACROSS LIVESTOCK SPECIES SUGGESTED THAT ANIMAL'S OWN GENETICS COULD INFLUENCE WHETHER AN ANIMAL WILL GET SICK FOLLOWING INFECTION WITH SPECIFIC VIRUSES. OUR OWN RESEARCH AND LITERATURE DATA SHOW EVIDENCE THAT MAJOR GENES (E.G., SYNGR2) COULD INFLUENCE PROGRESSION OF VIRAL DISEASES IN DIFFERENT SPECIES, FROM PIGS TO HUMAN. THERE IS VERY LIMITED UNDERSTANDING OF HOW SOME OF THE ANIMALS ARE USING THEIR OWN GENES TO REDUCE DISEASE PROGRESSION IN VIRAL INFECTIONS. THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROPOSED RESEARCH IS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF THESE MAJOR GENES IN PROMOTING RESISTANCE AGAINST DIFFERENT VIRAL PATHOGENS THAT INFECT LIVESTOCK. THIS RESEARCH WILL GENERATE NEW KNOWLEDGE THAT COULD BE USED TO PREDICT DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY AND PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS TO REDUCE THE INCIDENCE OF VIRAL DISEASES IN LIVESTOCK. ULTIMATELY, THE RESULTS OF THIS RESEARCH COULD BE APPLIED TO IMPROVE ANIMAL HEALTH AND WELFARE AS WELL AS REDUCE ECONOMIC LOSSES OF FARM OPERATIONS.