research studies » current studies
In 2008, Morris Animal Foundation will fund nearly 200 new and continuing studies for dogs, cats, horses, llamas/alpacas, and wildlife as well as more than 40 veterinary student projects.
We also have numerous studies nearing completion. You can search our current study database by species and/or disease to learn more about the studies we are funding in the areas you care most about. The results will also show you whether a study is available for sponsorship.
Category
D07ZO-607: Use of Elephant-Specific Monoclonal Antibodies and Recombinant Antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to Improve an ELISA Test for Elephants
principal investigator: Santiago Diaz, Veterinary Student Scholar, University of Florida
Full Sponsor: The Batchelor Foundation, Inc.
sponsorship not needed
Year: 1 of 1. $3,000
Tuberculosis is a serious disease in Asian elephants, and more than 30 cases have been reported in the U.S. population of 265 captive elephants. In addition, elephants can potentially pass the disease on to humans and other animal species. This is why there is a practical need for an accurate and affordable test to study this disease. The student will develop a test that detects antibodies in infected elephants by using very accurate reagents. The team will then determine whether this test is better than current tests by conducting a blind test of 100 serum samples. Assuming the results show improvement over the current tests, this new test will provide a practical and affordable tool for the further study of tuberculosis in elephants.
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