Research lines

Professionals at IZSAM are daily engaged into experimental research on the origin and development of infectious and spreading animal diseases, diagnosis of animal disease and of those diseases that may be transmitted to humans.

The Institute is a partner in many continual and targeted research projects funded by the Ministry of Health and the National Health Fund, to promote high quality biomedical and health research thus creating a scientific base to schedule actions to enhance the health of citizens. Continual research is planned along three years and is aimed at developing basic knowledge in specific biomedicine and public health sectors: funding is released yearly to those institutes whose research is acknowledged by the State as pursuing public ends. Targeted research implements priority biomedical and health objectives defined in the National Health Plan and is carried out by the Regions, Higher Health Institute, Higher Institute for Prevention and Safety at Work, Agency for Regional health Services, Science and Care Institutes and Veterinary Epidemiology Centres.

IZSAM is also active in International research thanks to WOAH Twinning and to the EU frame work programmes, the European Union funding mechanism to strengthen the industry science and technology base, improve international competitiveness and promote research in the Member Countries.

Research lines currently focus on:

Animal health

• Study of pathogenesis and characterization of microorganisms in the PIE and National Reference Laboratories and Centres;
• Study of vector insects responsible for spreading infections to humans and animals;
• Implementation of telediagnosis in animal health;

Serums and vaccines

• Development of vaccines against emerging exotic diseases (African horse sickness, PPR, PPCB);
• Development of alternative methods to animal testing;
• Development of innovative diagnostic products (recombinant VP7 protein to develop a c-ELISA- BT test, African horse sickness).

Food safety

• Development of prognostic models for pathogenic micro-organisms and their validation for employment in the food industry;
• Implementation of the Next Generation Sequencing, (NGS);
• Study of emerging pathogens in vegetable food;
• Study of contaminants transfer kinetics (environment, pasture, animal, food).

Epidemiology/Risk analysis

• Development of procedures to improve the ability of early detection and prompt response to food toxinfection hotbeds on the national and international level;
• Development of math-modelling systems and IT abilities to increase efficient detection, control and eradication of emerging infectious and exotic diseases in herds.

Human-animal relation and animal welfare

• Development of systems to evaluate rearing wellness;
• Study of population and ecology dynamics of synanthropic and wild animals and vermin;
• Development of epidemiologic monitoring systems for urban zoonosis.

Biology of sea and surface water

• Study on reproduction of fish species having a special commercial interest;
• Devise and implementation of biotest for eco-toxicological testing of water and sediments;
• Detection and classification of potentially toxic weeds associated to blossoming;

• Development and implementation of pre-alert biological systems to continuously monitor sea and fresh water;

• Study of depurative processes of bivalve molluscs.