Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

10/11/25- Meeting commenced 4:00pm

Andrew Broadbent (AB) opened the meeting with congratulating Bob Taylor (BT) on the National Excellence in the Multistate Research Award, for which the NE2334  MultiState received some funds that BT said could be used for students and postdocs to attend the meeting, if not already budgeted through other means. AB asked BT about how students or postdocs who attended the meeting could be reimbursed. BT said he would forward the contact information to ensure reimbursement, as the money was awarded through the West Virginia University (WVU) Experiment Station.

The location of the 2026 NE2334 meeting was discussed. Previously, Ali Nazmi (AN) at The Ohio State University had indicated an interest in hosting. AN was not present at the meeting, and so was contacted to see if he is still willing to host. As a back-up, Chris Ashwell (CA) said he could host in Morgantown WV.

Next, the discussion turned to the optimal time to hold the 2026 NE2334 MultiState meeting. It was raised that the North Central area guidelines restrict us to one technical meeting within a given fiscal year, and as this has been held in Sept/October in recent years, we may not be able to hold another one before Sept/Oct 2026 as it would fall in the same fiscal year. However, it was countered that some regions may be more flexible than others, meaning this may still be a possibility.  It was also raised that the summer is very busy with other meetings, and that the Sept/Oct window seems to work for most people, although we may self-select for the people that could make it at that time. There was some discussion as to whether to link the MultiState meeting with another meeting, for example CRWAD in January, or PSA in June, but there was not consensus in the room as to whether this was a good idea or not. For now, Sept/Oct 2026 seems reasonable, but the timing ultimately depends on the availability of the host. For 2027, there was some interest in holding the NE2334 meeting at the joint PSA/AAAP meeting in Texas.

A vote was then taken to elect the new secretary. Cari Hearn (CH) is the secretary in 2025 and will be the Chair in 2026. Chrysta Beck, Mississippi State University, was unanimously voted in as the secretary in 2026 and Chair in 2027.

Finally, CA is now the new Administrative Advisor- he emphasized that the list of participants and contact details needs to be updated.

Meeting adjourned 4:30pm

Objectives. The Multistate Project has 3 objectives: Objective 1. Determine how Allelic Variation Influences the Efficacy of Innate and Acquired Immune Functions; Objective 2. Identify Factors and Agents Affecting Poultry Immune Development, Function, Dysfunction and Pathology; Objective 3. Develop and Employ Genetic Stocks, Methods, Reagents and other Tools to Assess Basic Immune Function, Characterize Immune Evolutionary Processes, Guide Genetic Selection, and Increase Resistance to or Protection Against Avian Diseases.

Objective 1. Determine how Allelic Variation Influences the Efficacy of Innate and Acquired Immune Functions.

The Taylor lab at the University of West Virginia has been defining the identity of chicken alloantigens. Briefly, individual or pooled DNA having defined alloantigen genotypes were analyzed with 600k SNP, which enabled identification of systems A, D, E, and I which are C4BPM, CD99, FCAMR, and RHCE, respectively. Systems H and L have been found on chromosomes 24 and 4, respectively. Their gene identification remains in progress. Inbred Red Jungle fowl Line UCD 001 has the following alloantigen system haplotypes: A = C4BPM-H12; B = B^Q, BSNP-A09A; D = D³, CD99-H06; E = FCAMR-H01; I = I⁸, RHCE-H01 and RHCE-H06; and L = L¹, ABCE1-H01. Chicken RBC alloantigen L has been identified as ABCE1, ATP-binding cassette subfamily E member 1 located on Gga 4. This result is notable because the gene is not expressed on the cell membrane. This gene may influence expression of a cell-membrane gene located elsewhere in the genome.

Furthermore, work conducted by the Dreschsler lab, the Ng lab, and by Dr Sparling at the Western University of Health Sciences advanced several complementary projects. Work centered on the Cluster Homologs of Immunoglobulin-like Receptors (CHIRs), key modulators of avian immune signaling. Using defined MHC-I haplotypes (B2/B2, B19/B19, and B21/B21), the team combined in-vitro functional assays, single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, long-read sequencing, and chromatin accessibility profiling to dissect haplotype-specific immune responses. siRNA knockdown and viral infection models demonstrated distinct nitric-oxide–linked macrophage responses, while single-cell RNA-seq of reproductive tract tissues revealed haplotype-specific immune and stromal populations. Genome-wide comparisons of disease-resistant Line N and susceptible Line P chickens confirmed that apparent CHIR gene loss on chromosome 31 in Line P stemmed from sequencing and assembly limitations rather than true deletion, with new PacBio assemblies showing reduced completeness and higher redundancy in Line P. Parallel efforts with collaborators at the University of Washington, University of Arizona, and City of Hope produced new assays and multi-omic data for genome annotation, DNA-methylation, and ATAC/ChIP profiling. Two peer-reviewed manuscripts, two national conference abstracts, and one ongoing USDA seed project reflect these accomplishments. Collectively, these studies expand the functional and genomic annotation of CHIR genes, clarify their regulatory control, and contribute molecular tools for breeding poultry with improved innate and adaptive immunity. Objective 1: Substantial progress was made in defining the genetic and regulatory mechanisms underlying immune variation in chickens. Collaborative efforts with the University of Washington optimized functional genome-annotation assays, generating multi-tissue RNA-seq data and refining ATAC-seq and ChIP-seq methods for higher resolution. These datasets now span 20 immune and non-immune tissue types, including macrophages, T cells, and reproductive tissues.

Research was also conducted to further our understanding of the genetic basis of resistance and susceptibility of chickens to Mareks disease (MD), caused by the MD virus (MDV). In the past decades, MDV has evolved towards more virulent strains and remains a persistent threat to the world's poultry industry. The Song lab at the University of Maryland performed genome-wide gene expression analysis in the spleen, thymus, and bursa tissues from an MD-resistant line and susceptible line to explore the mechanism of MD resistance and susceptibility. Genes and pathways associated with the transcriptional response to MDV infection were identified using the robust RNA sequencing approach. The transcriptome analysis revealed a tissue-specific expression pattern among immune organs when confronting MDV. At pathway and network levels, MDV infections influenced cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and cellular development in resistant and susceptible chicken lines. Meanwhile, different genetic responses between the two chicken lines were also observed: Following pathway analysis, terms such as “herpes simplex”  and “influenza A” were found in MD resistant line spleen tissues, whereas metabolic-related pathways and DNA replication could only be observed in MD susceptible line chickens. Complementing the work performed at Maryland, USDA Agricultural Research Services (ARS) performed allele specific expression (ASE) analysis of single-cell sequencing data identified MD resistance genes acting in specific immune cell subsets. Long-read transcript isoform analysis in sorted CD4+ T cells is also  performed to identify isoform-based genetic responses to MD infection that correlate with resistance. A key finding was that MHC genetic resistance confers increased protection against IBDV mortality, while non-MHC genetic resistance may be required for protection against bursal damage. Following on from the work on MD resistance Vs susceptibility, the Jarosinski lab at the University of Illinois has cloned and sequenced innate immune genes from Mareks Disease (MD)-resistant and -susceptible chickens.

Objective 2. Identify Factors and Agents Affecting Poultry Immune Development, Function, Dysfunction and Pathology

As MDV is a significant factor/agent that affects poultry immune development, the Parcells lab at the University of Delaware has been studying the genetic basis for increased virulence of MDV field strains and the mechanistic underpinning of how mutations confer increased pathogenicity to these strains. Additionally, the lab has a focus on the role that exosomal vesicles play in coordinating immune responses in vaccinated chickens and mediating immune suppression in tumor-bearing chickens. A cellular protein that binds to the viral Meq protein of high virulence MDVs (BRG1) was identified, which increases the transcriptional activation of the Meq proteins having high virulence mutations. A model was developed to describe the evolution of MDV virulence based on the mutations observed in the Meq oncoprotein and a potentially novel immune evasive mechanism was identified mediated by the tumor-associated exosomes (TEX) of MDV in lymphoma-bearing chickens. Finally, the lab has connected the induction of MDV latency to the expression and activity of EZH2 (PRC2) and Bmi-1 (PRC1) complexes and this could explain prior observations of two phases of latency established during MDV infection. Furthermore, research conducted at USDA ARS revealed that polyclonal antisera against PD-1 and PD-L1 reduced viral shedding in MDV infection, and that overexpression of the lymphocyte regulatory transcription factor Ikaros by MDV partially protects against MD tumorigenesis and lymphoid atrophy.

Other viral diseases also affect poultry immune development. One such virus is infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV). The Broadbent lab at the University of Maryland discovered that clade 2 IBDV strains that were found in 25% of samples in Delmarva in 2007 were present in 76% of samples in 2023. Clade 2 viruses contained a genetic signature in the hypervariable region (HVR) of the capsid which they found significantly reduced the virus neutralization titer of serum antibodies raised against the traditional strain (Del-E) (p<0.05), suggesting the substitutions drive immune escape. In addition, avian reovirus (ARV) can affect poultry immune development. To study ARV pathogenesis in more detail, the Broadbent lab developed primary intestinal organoids from chicken and turkey embryos (turkey embryos were provided by USDA Beltsville), and demonstrated that the organoids supported ARV replication. The team then evaluated the gene expression of mock and infected chicken and turkey organoids by RNASeq. They found that the gene expression profile of the turkey organoids was similar to the chicken organoids, validating their use in viral pathogenesis studies. Infection with ARV upregulated genes involved with ion transport, and downregulated genes involved with metabolic processes, consistent with ARV affecting intestinal absorption in vivo and loss of normal cellular processes. Finally, the Broadbent lab observed that ARV induces the formation of lipid droplets (LDs) in infected cells. To investigate the mechanism underlying ARV-mediated LD induction, they conducted transcriptomics analysis of infected cells and discovered that ARV infection downregulated polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) synthesis pathways and led to an increase in oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in infected cells that was iron dependent, indicative of ferroptosis. Their working model is that ferroptosis is buffered against by sequestration of PUFAs into LDs to prolong the life of the cell. Continuing with  the theme of ARV research, the Hauk lab at Auburn University, Alabama, completed three transcriptomic studies revealing how RNA viruses affect different chicken tissues: In one study, Avian reovirus (ARV) strain S1133 infection in chicken embryos led to tissue- and dose-specific responses, with the intestines and liver showing the highest DEG counts and strong antiviral gene networks. In another study, ARV isolates caused time- and strain-dependent transcriptomic changes in heart and jejuna tissue, with immune pathways more active in the gut and metabolic pathways in the heart. In a third study, Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccine strains LaSota, V4, and B1 triggered over 120 shared differentially expressed genes (DEGs) across multiple organs, with V4 showing the strongest transcriptional impact.  

Significant progress was made by the Zhou lab at U.C. Davis (Animal Science) in identifying genetic factors influencing innate immunity and their role in disease resistance. Using two genetically distinct chicken lines (Fayoumi – resistant, Leghorn – susceptible), the team generated preliminary data revealing line-specific immune responses to avian influenza (AI). Mucosal immune responses in the Harderian gland were characterized following low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) H6N2 infection. The Fayoumi line showed faster viral clearance, higher macrophage abundance, and unique MHC-related gene expression, indicating stronger innate immune control. Single-cell Multiome (scRNA-seq and scATAC-seq) analyses identified 17 immune cell clusters and highlighted key regulatory differences linked to resistance. Data generated provide valuable resources for developing genetic selection strategies aimed at improving poultry disease resistance and production efficiency.

Finally, studies conducted by the Erf lab at the University of Arkansas on multifactorial, non-communicable diseases using a scleroderma/systemic sclerosis-prone autoimmune disease chicken model line (UCD200/206) provided new insights on the cellular and molecular alterations during development of the Raynaud phenomenon-like vasculitis and fibrosis, as well as the autoimmune comb pathology and partial to complete comb loss. Moroever, using UCD-SSc chickens, immune response studies revealed aberrant innate/primary immune responses to bacterial and viral antigens compared to healthy Leghorn controls and generated new knowledge on immune responses in poultry.                                         

Objective 3. Develop and Employ Genetic Stocks, Methods, Reagents and other Tools to Assess Basic Immune Function, Characterize Immune Evolutionary Processes, Guide Genetic Selection, and Increase Resistance to or Protection Against Avian Diseases.

Important genetic stocks, typed for multiple alloantigen systems including the MHC, are maintained at West Virginia University (WVU) for station research and collaborative projects. The stocks include one inbred line, two congenic lines and five different line crosses. Two hundred forty-three alloantisera, originally produced by Dr. W. E. Briles at Northern Illinois University (NIU) are held by WVU. Moreover, USNPRC layer chicken lines are available at USDA-ARS for research on genetic disease resistance, including MHC-based resistance; The MHC-congenic lines were sequenced to confirm their congenic status; a historically suspect MHC congenic line was confirmed to carry a field allele MHC class I gene. Finally, the University of Arkansas (AR) maintained and reproduced genetic lines that spontaneously develop autoimmune diseases. AR refined and expanded the use of the growing feather as an “in vivo test-tube system” to study innate and adaptive immune responses in egg-type and broiler chickens as well as turkeys. The combination of the in vivo test-tube with blood sampling proved effective in evaluating the immune responses of various genetic lines, and the effects of genetic selection, environment, and nutrition on immune system development and function.

Regarding the development of methods and tools to assess basic immune function and characterize immune evolutionary processes, the Western University of Health Sciences, CA, under multiple funded projects, advanced immune gene and cell-type characterizations significantly. Briefly, spatial and single-cell transcriptomics of coccidiosis-challenged birds revealed haplotype-specific intestinal immune regulation, while reproductive-tract scRNA-seq identified distinct immune and stromal cell distributions between B2 and B19 haplotypes. Parallel in vitro studies established CHIRB’s regulatory role in macrophage nitric oxide production and innate signaling. Finally, long-read genome assemblies for disease-resistant Line N and susceptible Line P chickens were completed, revealing structural variation and lower completeness in Line P—particularly on chromosome 31, which houses CHIR immune receptor genes. These findings were presented at the 2025 Poultry Science Association Annual Meeting. Collectively, these accomplishments contribute essential genomic, transcriptomic, and functional data resources for avian disease resistance research. Moreover, the Nazmi lab at The Ohio State University aims to elucidate the functions of intraepithelial lymphocyte (IEL) populations in chickens during enteric infections. To this end, single cell RNA sequencing was performed on enriched CD45+ IELs isolated from Salmonella- infected and non-infected groups at 2 dpi. Data analysis is ongoing. This work generates methods that will assess basic immune function and increase protection against avian diseases. Furthermore, the University of Maryland developed a new tool to predict the antigenic relationships of IBDV strains based on their structure instead of their sequence, to better inform vaccine antigen selection. This work generates methods that will increase protection against avian diseases that affect immune function.

Work conducted by the Gallardo lab at U.C. Davis (Veterinary Medicine) developed methods and tools to increase protection against avian diseases. For example, the ability of maternal antibodies against infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) to mitigate false layer syndrome (FLS) was investigated. Maternal antibodies and timing of IBV infection were found to be more important in the generation of FLS than the IBV strain. In addition, spraying chickens with antibodies was found to be useful in preventing the chronic effects of IBV infection, and could allow vaccination to be postponed, thus avoiding detrimental long-term reproductive effects in layers. Futhermore, the team aimed to establish a simplified genotype classification for infectious coryza typing. Most of the hemagglutination capability of A. paragallinarum (the causative agent of coryza) is determined by the HMTp210 gene; therefore, a thorough analysis of this gene was performed using a large and diverse dataset. Four genogroups were determined using a cutoff bootstrapping value of 70% and nucleotide identities of 95%. These groups show noteworthy correspondence to the A. paragallinarum serovars currently used for classification. This suggested coryza classification method provides ready-to-use information that can serve as a basis for updated commercial vaccines that target problematic strains in the field, for the development of qPCR assays that differentiate between genogroups, and for choosing relevant strains for future cross-protective studies. Finally, for identification and quantification of hepatitis E virus (HEV), an RT-qPCR assay was developed, revealing the highest viral load in gallbladders. Molecular studies typed these viruses as genotype 2 and, for the first time in the United States, genotype 3. The lab also report on the fulfillment of Koch postulates using blood biochemistry, gross pathology, and histopathology. This project is important since investigated not only the pathobiology of Hep E in chickens but also investigated diagnostic tools to detect and surveil for it.  In addition to this work, the Selvaraj lab at the University of Georgia also developed methods to increase protection against avian diseases. Briefly, Bacillus subtilis (Bs) is a widely used probiotic bacterium in poultry industry that can be genetically engineered to produce nanobodies against the key virulence factor Flagellin C (FliC) of Salmonella, which facilitates Salmonella motility and attachment to host intestinal epithelial cells. To evaluate the efficacy of this construct in reducing disease burden,a challenge study was conducted. Briefly, Oral gavage of Bs expressing GFP (BsGFP) and Bs expressing FliC (BsFliC)  did not affect the production performance of broilers from D0-D28.  In the post challenge phase, birds in BsFliC treatment had  a 49% lower cecal Salmonella load in comparison with the SE challenged group and a 45% lower cecal Salmonella load when compared with the BsGFP group. Similarly, significant reduction of 96% in liver and spleen Salmonella load was noted in BsFliC group when compared with Salmonella challenged group. However, only numeric differences in the liver, spleen and cecal Salmonella load were found between the BsGFP and BsFliC groups. There was no significant difference in gut permeability across the treatments. In conclusion, engineered BsFliC provided protection against intestinal and systemic organ invasion of Salmonella through decreased attachment of Salmonella to host cells though the results were not statistically different from empty vector B.subtilisGFP which did not produce anti-FliC nanobodies.

Impacts are grouped by objective:

Peer reviewed articles

• Adhikari, R., S. J. Rochell, R. Kriseldi, M. Silva, L. Greiner, C. Williams, B. Matton, A. Anderson, G. F. Erf, E. Park, K. Haydon, and J. Lee. 2025. Recent advances in protein and amino acid nutritional dynamics in relation to performance, health, welfare, and cost of production. Poult. Sci. 104: 104852 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2025.104852
• Al Hakeem, W. G., Cason, E. E., Adams, D. A., Villanueva, K. Y. A., Shanmugasundaram, R., Lourenco, J., & Selvaraj, R. K. (2024). The effect of Campylobacter jejuni challenge on the ileal microbiota and short-chain fatty acids at 28 and 35 days of age. Italian Journal of Animal Science, 23(1), 299-312.
• Al Hakeem, W. G., Cason, E. E., Adams, D., Fathima, S., Shanmugasundaram, R., Lourenco, J., & Selvaraj, R. K. (2024). Characterizing the Effect of Campylobacter jejuni Challenge on Growth Performance, Cecal Microbiota, and Cecal Short-Chain Fatty Acid Concentrations in Broilers.. Animals (Basel), 14(3). doi:10.3390/ani14030473
• Ajao, A. M., Liu, G., Taylor, J., Ball, M. E. E., Mercier, Y., Applegate, T. J., . . . Olukosi, O. A. (2024). Phase-specific outcmes of arginine or branched-chain amino acids supplementation in low crude protein diets on performance, nutrient digestibility, and expression of tissue protein synthesis and degradation in broiler chickens infected with mixed Eimeria spp.. Poult Sci, 103(7), 103811
• Beck, C. N., J. M. Santamaria, and G. F. Erf. 2025. Inflammatory and humoral immune responses to commercial autogenous Salmonella bacterin vaccines in Light-brown Leghorn pullets: primary and secondary vaccine responses. Vaccines 13: 311 https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13030311
• Bilal, A. R., Jude, R., Crossley, B., Corsiglia, C., Rejmanek, D., & Gallardo, R. A. (2024). Surveillance of Avian Reoviruses in a Single Broiler Chicken Company from the California Central Valley. Avian Diseases.
• Blakey JR, García M, Jackwood DJ, Dalloul RA, Mohanty SK, Dunn JR. Contribution of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) B locus-based genetic resistance to multiple strains of infectious bursal disease virus. Avian Pathol. 2025 Sep 16:1-11.
• Brodrick AJ, Liu M, Smith-Hicks G, Dong J, Egana-Labrin S, Broadbent AJ. The C terminus of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) VP3 encodes a predicted intrinsically disordered region (IDR), which promotes the formation of cytoplasmic puncta and modulates their physical properties. doi: 10.1101/2025.01.17.633518 – under review at MBio
• Brown O, de Lima AO, Drechsler Y, Hawkins RD. Info Grab: An Interactive Shiny Application for Gene Expression Analysis and Visualization. Available at SSRN 5260895.
• Byrne, K. A., and G. F. Erf. 2024. The bacterial cell wall components lipopolysaccharide and peptidoglycan initiate divergent local tissue and systemic inflammatory response profiles in the chicken model. Animals. 14:3661. https://doi.org/10.2290/ani14243661
• Crossley, B. M., Miramontes, C. C., Rejmanek, D., Gallardo, R., & Pereira, R. (2025). In laboratory inactivation of H5N1 in raw whole milk through milk acidification: results from a pilot study. Journal of Dairy Science.
• de Lima AO, Ng TT, Sparling B, Griggs LM, Lai K, Drechsler Y, Hawkins RD. An updated Gallus gallus genome annotation through multi-tissue transcriptome analysis. Genomics. 2025 Jul 1;117(4):111056.
• Ding Y, Dunn J, Zhang H, Zhao K, Song J. Comparative transcriptomic analysis of chicken immune organs affected by Marek's disease virus infection at latency phases. Front Physiol. 2025 Apr 2;16:1520826. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1520826. PMID: 40241721; PMCID: PMC12000659
• Egana-Labrin S, Brodrick A, Kehlbeck D, Liu M, Dong J, Broadway A, Markis M, Mondal S, Broadbent A. Molecular characterization of Infectious Bursal Disease Virus (IBDV) strains of genogroup A2B1 circulating in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia from 2018-2023 uncovers an amino acid signature in the consensus sequence of the capsid hypervariable region that drives viral escape from neutralizing antibody binding -  under review at
• Facchetti v Assumpcao, A., V. Caputi, C. M. Ashwell, C. F. Honaker, P. B. Siegel, R. L. Taylor, Jr, and J. M. Lyte. Biochemical analysis of White Leghorn chicken serum at different ages from lines selected for high or low antibody response to sheep red blood cells. Vet. Res. submitted
• Fathima, S., Al Hakeem, W. G., Shanmugasundaram, R., Lourenco, J., & Selvaraj, R. K. (2024). The effect of supplemental arginine on the gut microbial homeostasis of broilers during sub-clinical necrotic enteritis challenge. Frontiers in Physiology, 15. doi:10.3389/fphys.2024.1463420
• Fathima, S., Hakeem, W. G. A., Shanmugasundaram, R., & Selvaraj, R. K. (2024). Effect of arginine supplementation on the growth performance, intestinal health, and immune responses of broilers during necrotic enteritis challenge.. Poult Sci, 103(7), 103815.
• Fathima, S., Al Hakeem, W. G., Shanmugasundaram, R., Periyannan, V., Varadhan, R., & Selvaraj, R. K. (2024). Effect of 125% and 135% arginine on the growth performance, intestinal health, and immune responses of broilers during necrotic enteritis challenge.. Poult Sci, 103(7), 103826.
• Fulton, J.E., McCaroon, A.M., Wolc, A., Mullen, A., Foerstner, C., Sparling, B., Drobik-Czwarno, W., and Taylor Jr., R.L. Genetic variation within ABCE1 is associated with the chicken L blood system. Poultry Science (Submitted).
• J. E., A. M. McCarron, A. Wolc, A. Mullen, C. Foerstner, B. Sparling, W. Drobik-Czwarno, and R. L. Taylor, Jr. Genetic variation within ABCE1 is related to the chicken L blood system. Poult. Sci. submitted
• Jeyachandran AV, Zaiss AK, Chakravarty N, Singh S, Delgado Y, Paravastu R, Satheeshkumar N, Gerald E, Jeysankar A, Thomas J, Fuller L, Lee N, Taylor C, Joshi S, Parcells M, French SW, Date A, Bouhaddou M, Garcia G Jr, Kumar A, Damoiseaux R, Arumugaswami V. Drug screen reveals new potent host-targeted antivirals against Mpox virus. Res Sq [Preprint]. 2025 Jun 5:rs.3.rs-6432510. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6432510/v1. PMID: 40502772; PMCID: PMC12155215.
• Jeyachandran AV, Zaiss AK, Chakravarty N, Singh S, Delgado Y, Paravastu R, Satheeshkumar N, Gerald E, Jeysankar A, Thomas J, Fuller L, Lee N, Taylor C, Joshi S, Parcells M, French SW, Date A, Bouhaddou M, Garcia G Jr, Kumar A, Damoiseaux R, Arumugaswami V. Drug screen reveals new potent host-targeted antivirals against Mpox virus. bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2025 May 5:2025.05.02.651913. doi: 10.1101/2025.05.02.651913. PMID: 40400715; PMCID: PMC12094526.
• Johnson, K. L., J. M. Santamaria, C. N. Beck, and G. F. Erf . 2025. Leukocyte infiltration profiles at the site of intradermal injection of SILIKON-1000 in scleroderma-prone UCD200/206 and healthy White Leghorn chickens. “in Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. 26: 24-32.
• Kappari, L., Dasireddy, J. R., Applegate, T. J., Selvaraj, R. K., & Shanmugasundaram, R. (n.d.). MicroRNAs: exploring their role in farm animal disease and mycotoxin challenges. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 11. doi:10.3389/fvets.2024.1372961
• Khalid Z, Fathima S, Hauck R (2025): Tissue-Specific Transcriptomic Responses to Avian Reovirus Inoculation in Ovo. Viruses 17(5):646.
• Khalid, N., S.M. Bukhari, W. Ali, A.A. Sheikh, H.M. Abdullah, A. Nazmi. 2025. Probiotic Lactocaseibacillus casei NK1 enhances growth and gut microbiota in avian pathogenic Escherichia coli challenged broilers. Animals. 15(8), 1136. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15081136
• K. Lane, T. Kelly, B. Bird, E. Chenais, A. Roug, G. Vidal, R. Gallardo, H. Zhou, G. VanHoy, and W. Smith. 2025. A One Health Approach to Reducing Livestock Disease Prevalence in Developing Countries: Advances, Challenges, and Prospects. Annual Review of Animal Biosciences Vol. 13 https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-animal-111523-102133
• Lyte, J. M., A. Facchetti v Assumpcao, V. Caputi, C. M. Ashwell, M. Seyoum, C. F. Honaker, K. M. Daniels, M. Lyte, P. B. Siegel, and R. L. Taylor, Jr. 2025. Co-evolution of the humoral immune and serotonergic systems in chickens selected for high or low blood antibody titer response to sheep red blood cells. Poult. Sci. 104:104699 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2024.104699
• Majeed, S., B.R. Shah, N. Khalid, L. Bielke, A. Nazmi. 2024. Dynamic changes in the intraepithelial lymphocyte numbers following Salmonella Typhimurium infection in broiler chickens. Animals. 14, 3463. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14233463
• Mohamed El-Gazzar^*, Rodrigo Gallardo^*, Robert Bragg, Amro Hashish, Hui-ling Sun, Sherrill Davison, Anneke Feberwee, T. Skein, Azil Coertzen, Donna Kelly, Yosef Huberman, Edgardo Soriano-Vargas, Vladimir Morales-Erasto, Ana Da Silva, Meng-Jiao Guo, Brian Ladman, Remco Dijkman, Mostafa Ghanem (2025). Avibacterium paragallinarum
• Mohamed El-Gazzar^*, Rodrigo Gallardo^*, Robert Bragg, Amro Hashish, Hui-ling Sun, Sherrill Davison, Anneke Feberwee, T. Skein, Azil Coertzen, Donna Kelly, Yosef Huberman, Edgardo Soriano-Vargas, Vladimir Morales-Erasto, Ana Da Silva, Meng-Jiao Guo, Brian Ladman, Remco Dijkman, Mostafa Ghanem (2025). Avibacterium paragallinarum
• Ng TT, Sparling BA, Selvaraj RK. Zinc Glycinate Alleviates Necrotic Enteritis Infection in Broiler Chickens. Animals. 2025 Aug 13;15(16):2373.
• Nguyen, V., Stoute, S., Ramsubeik, S., Miller, I., Jerry, C., Corsiglia, C., & Gallardo, R. A. (2024). A Retrospective Analysis to Identify Epidemiologic Patterns of the Infectious Coryza Outbreak in California 2016–22. Avian Diseases.
• Nim T, Niikura M, Dunn JR, Cheng HH, Hearn CJ. Effects of Ikaros (IKZF1) gene in the virulence of Marek's disease virus. Vet Microbiol. 2025 Jun;305:110532. 
• Niraula, A., A. Wolc, J. E. Fulton, R. L. Taylor, Jr., and R. A. Dalloul. 2025. The chicken major histocompatibility complex (MHC-B) and alloantigen systems A, D, E, and I impact resistance to coccidiosis. Poult. Sci. 104: 105151 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2025.105151
• Patria JN, Jwander L, Mbachu I, Parcells L, Ladman B, Trimpert J, Kaufer BB, Tavlarides-Hontz P, Parcells MS. The MeqGenes of Nigerian Marek's Disease Virus (MDV) Field Isolates Contain Mutations Common to Both European and US High Virulence Strains. Viruses. 2024 Dec 31;17(1):56. doi: 10.3390/v17010056. PMID: 39861844; PMCID: PMC11769123.
• Perera, R, A. Asnayanti, K. Alharbi, A. Do, M. B. Larbi, A.P. Anthney, A. L. F. V. Assumpcao, K. Arsi, G. Kumar-Phillips, J. M. Santamaria, G. F. Erf, T. Kalapala, S. D. Pillai, P. Jesudhasan, A. A. K. Alrubaye. 2025. Leveraging electron beam-inactivated multi-strain Staphylococcus vaccine for preventing BCO lameness in broiler chicken. Vaccines. 13, 946. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines130909463832129
• Perretti, A, V. J. Oyeniran, J. M. Cherry, R. H. Whittle, Z. Grider, A. H. Nelson, S. W. Kang, G. F. Erf, and S. L. Weimer. 2025. Effects of light wavelength on broiler performance, leukocyte profiles, stress levels, and tibia morphology. Animals. 15(16): 2372. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15162372
• Saenz, E., Jude, R., Flores, L., Ehr, I., Stockam, J., Alvarado, I., ... & Gallardo, R. A. (2025). Avian Hepatitis E Detections in the United States, from Diagnostics to Koch’s Postulates. Avian Diseases.
• Santamaria, J. M., C. N. Beck, and G. F. Erf. 2024. Local inflammatory and systemic antibody responses initiated by a first intradermal administration of autogenous Salmonella-killed vaccines and their components in pullets. Vaccines 12:1159. doi: 10.3390/vaccines12101159.
• Santamaria, J. M., C. N. Beck, S. K. Orlowski, M. Maqueda, W. G. Bottje, and G. F. Erf. 2025. Selection for improved water efficiency in broiler breeder lines does not negatively impact immune response capabilities to Gram^- and Gram⁺ bacterial components and a killed-Salmonella vaccine. Vet. Sci. Vet. Sci.12(3):279. doi: 10.3390/vetsci12030279
• Sato J, Kurokawa A, Motai Y, Yamagami S, Win SY, Horio F, Saeki H, Maekawa N, Okagawa T, Kaufer BB, Osterrieder N, Parcells MS, Konnai S, Ohashi K, Murata S. Two distinct polymorphisms in the basic region of Meq protein of marek's disease virus alter pathological progression and clinical manifestations. Virol J. 2025 Sep 26;22(1):303. doi: 10.1186/s12985-025-02930-4. PMID: 41013577;
• Seyoum, M. M., A. Facchetti v Assumpcao, V. Caputi, C. M. Ashwell, C. F. Honaker, K. M. Daniels, M. Lyte, P. B. Siegel, R. L. Taylor, Jr., and J. M. Lyte. 2025. Multigenerational selection for high or low antibody responses to sheep red blood cells modulates the chicken cecal microbiome and its evolutionary relationship to immune and serotonergic systems. Poult. Sci. 104:104943 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2025.104943
• Taylor, J., Mercier, Y., Olukosi, O. A., Kim, W. K., Selvaraj, R., Applegate, T. J., . . . Kyriazakis, I. (2024). Supplementing low protein diets with methionine or threonine during mixed Eimeria challenge.. Poult Sci, 103(6), 103714.
• Taylor, R. L., Jr. Letter to the Editor – Insight for the next generation.  Poult. Sci. 104:105855 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2025.105855
• Taylor, R. L., Jr., and J. E. Fulton. Identifying chicken alloantigens to understand their influence on disease and production traits. Poult. Sci. submitted
• Taylor, R. L., Jr., A. M. McCarron, and J. E. Fulton. Research Note: Alloantigen types in inbred red Jungle fowl Line UCD 001. Poult. Sci. submitted
• Uribe-Diaz, S., J. M. Santamaria, B. M. Hargis, Y. M. Kwon, C. N. Vuong, and G. F. Erf. 2025. Decoding poultry immune responses to Salmonella vaccines: current advances and future directions for next-generation vaccine development. Poult. Sci. 104:105884 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2025.105884
• Velez-Irizarry D, Cheng H, Hearn C. scRNA seq of an F1 cross of Marek's disease resistant and susceptible chickens identifies allele specific expression signatures enriched in transcription modulators. Sci Rep. 2025 Jan 29;15(1):3689.
• Volkening JD, Spatz SJ, Garcia M, Ross TA, Maekawa DA, Rosenthal KS, Zamora AC, Skipper A, Blakey JR, Paudel R. A functional interleukin-4 homolog is encoded in the genome of infectious laryngotracheitis virus: Unveiling a novel virulence factor. PLoS Pathog. 2025 Jul 23;21(7):e1013219.
• Yadav, S., Singh, A. K., Selvaraj, R. K., Applegate, T. J., Bhattacharya, P., Shinall, S. B., Kim, W. K. (2024). Research Note: Effect of dietary xylo-oligosaccharide on growth performance, intestinal histomorphology, and specific cecal bacteria in broiler chickens.. Poult Sci, 103(1), 103189.

Abstracts

• Abe, A. A., C. N. Beck, A. Forga, K. A. Matusik, D. Roberts, D. Cortes, M. Martinez, J. Higuita, K. Echevarria, D. Graham, G. F. Erf, and J. M. Santamaria. 2025. Intradermal injection of peptidoglycan stimulates local and systemic inflammatory responses in turkeys: insights from a dual window approach. Poultry Science Association Meeting Abstracts: page 5, abstract 2.
• Aryal, B., S. Majeed, B.R. Shah, N, Khalid, L. Bielke, Q. Wang, L. Zhao, A. Nazmi. 2025. Assessing the detrimental effects of chronic heat stress in commercial layers in cage-free system. Poultry Science Annual Meeting, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Oral presentation
• Aryal, B., S. Majeed, B.R. Shah, N, Khalid, L. Bielke, Q. Wang, L. Zhao, A. Nazmi. 2025. Effect of heat stress on egg production, blood biochemistry, immune response, and disease susceptibility in cage-free laying hens infected with Salmonella enteritidis. Poultry Science Annual Meeting, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Oral presentation
• Beck, C. N., J. M. Santamaria, and G. F. Erf. 2025. Lymphocyte populations in the liver and secondary lymphoid organs of White Leghorn and UCD200/206 Scleroderma/Systemic sclerosis-expressing chickens differ after vaccination with Salmonella Typhimurium bacterin. Poultry Science Association Meeting Abstracts: page 146, abstract 316.
• Beck, C. N., J. M. Santamaria, R. M. Perera, and G. F. Erf. 2025. A multi-phase Salmonella vaccination program alters IgA levels in the ceca, bile, and peripheral blood of specific pathogen-free White Leghorns. International Poultry Scientific Forum Abstracts: page 150, abstract P415.
• Bowerman, A. K., C. N. Beck, J. M. Santamaria, and G. F. Erf. 2025. Differences in cellular and humoral immune responses to a primary and secondary vaccination with herpesvirus of turkey (HVT) vaccine in layer pullets. International Poultry Scientific Forum Abstracts: page 110, abstract P300.
• Bowerman, A. K., J. M. Santamaria, G. F. Erf, and C. N. Beck. 2025. Primary vaccination with herpesvirus of turkey (HVT) vaccine stimulated different lymphocyte infiltration profiles in Light-brown Leghorns and scleroderma/systemic sclerosis-expressing UCD200/206 White Leghorns. Poultry Science Association Meeting Abstracts: page 193, abstract 422P.
• Facchetti v Assumpcao, A., V. Caputi, C. M. Ashwell, C. F. Honaker, P. B. Siegel, R. L. Taylor, Jr, and J. M. Lyte. 2025. Blood serum biochemistry analysis of White Leghorn chickens selected for divergent blood antibody titer response to sheep red blood cells. ASAS abstract
• Ferrier, S., Ng, T. T., and Sparling, B. A. 2025. Elucidate missing CHIR genes on Line-P chickens in the previous transcriptomic study using long-read sequencing. Poultry Science Association Annual Meeting Proceedings, July 15–18, 2024, Louisville, KY, USA. Abstract 401P. Poultry Science Association.
• Gravino- The Meq Oncoprotein of Marek’s Disease Virus (MDV) Specifically Binds Chromatin Modifier BRG1 and Increases Transcriptional Activity of Meq in vv+MDVs. Christian Gravino, Joseph Patria, Meilyn Farnell, Tiana Salana, Phaedra Tavlarides-Hontz, Fiona McCarthy, Kenneth Pendarvis, and Mark S. Parcells. 49^th International Herpesvirus Workshop, July 26 – 30, 2025, p. 271
• Gravino- The Meq Oncoprotein of Marek’s Disease Virus (MDV) Specifically Binds Chromatin Modifier BRG1 and Increases Transcriptional Activity of Meq in vv+MDVs. Christian Gravino, Joseph Patria, Meilyn Farnell, Tiana Salana, Phaedra Tavlarides-Hontz, Fiona McCarthy, Kenneth Pendarvis, and Mark S.
• Hauck R, Khalid Z, Fathima S (2025). changes in the transcriptome of chicken embryo organs after inoculation with avian reovirus. In: Proceedings of the 74th Western Poultry Disease Conference, Calgary, CA. pp 85 – 87.
• Jesudhasan, P., A. Donoghue, K. Arsi, J. Evans, A. Nazmi, S.D. Pillai, J.L. Purswell, A. Assumpcao. 2025. Electron beam (eBeam)-killed multivalent vaccines to control Clostridium perfringens and Mycoplasma gallisepticum in chickens. Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases (CRWAD) 2025, Chicago, IL, USA. Oral presentation
• Khalid, N., S.M. Bukhari, H.M. Abdullah, A. Nazmi. 2025. Comparative evaluation of probiotic potential of lactobacillus isolates from healthy and colibacillosis-affected broilers against avian pathogenic Escherichia coli challenge. Poultry Science Annual Meeting, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Oral presentation
• Lee- 49^th International Herpesvirus Workshop, July 26^th – 30^th, 2025, Berlin Germany
• 34 The Role of Exosomes in Terms of Marek’s Disease Virus (MDV) Mediated Immunity and Immunosuppression. Sohee Lee, Shannon Modla, Ken Pendarvis, Phaedra Tavlarides-Hontz, Ryan J. Arsenault, Famatta Perry and Mark S. Parcells. 49^th International Herpesvirus Workshop, July 26 – 30, 2025, p. 216
• Lee- The Role of Exosomes in Marek's Disease Virus-mediated Immunosuppression and Immunity. 2024. Sohee Lee, Yaw Kobia Mwodor, Shannon Modla, Ken Pendarvis, Phaedra Tavlarides-Hontz, Ryan J. Arsenault, and Mark S. Parcells. Proceedings of the 97^th Annual Northeastern Conference on Avian Diseases (NECAD), Penn State University, Sept. 17, 2025, p. 72
• Lopes T, Hauck R (2025). Young chick's gene expression profile after infection with three NDV vaccinal strains reveals common and unique DEGs linked to innate immunity in the harderian glands, trachea, lungs and ceca. In: Proceedings of the 74th Western Poultry Disease Conference, Calgary, CA. pp 131 – 132.
• Majeed, S., B. Aryal, B.R. Shah, N, Khalid, L. Bielke, Q. Wang, L. Zhao, A. Nazmi. 2025. Cold stress in cage-free laying hens: effect on performance, mucosal immunity, blood biomarkers and Salmonella susceptibility. Poultry Science Annual Meeting, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Oral presentation
• Niraula, A., A. Wolc, R. L. Taylor, Jr., J. E. Fulton, and R. A. Dalloul. 2025. Chicken alloantigen systems MHC-B, D, E, and I haplotypes are associated with coccidiosis resistance. 2025 Int. Poult. Scientific Forum abstract p.22 abstract M55
• Nolin, S. J., C. M. Ashwell, F. W. Edens, C. F. Honaker, R. L. Taylor, Jr., and P. B. Siegel. 2025. Nature versus nurture: can genetic selection overcome environmental differences to achieve consistent results between experiments? Poult. Sci. 105:148 abstract 322
• Parcells- Genome Expression versus Replication of Marek’s Disease Virus of Different Pathotypes. Mark S. Parcells, Joshua Miller, Andelé Conradie, Joseph Patria and Benedikt B. Kaufer. 49^th International Herpesvirus Workshop, July 26 – 30, 2025, p. 275
• Parcells- 97^th Northeastern Conference on Avian Diseases, Sept. 16 – 18, 2025, Penn State University Marek’s Disease Virus Replication versus Genome Expression Levels: A New Paradigm for the Virulence Evolution of an Avian Herpesvirus. 2025. Mark Parcells, Joshua Miller, Joseph Patria, Andelé Conradie, Benedikt Kaufer, Phaedra Tavlarides-Hontz. Proceedings of the 97^th Annual Northeastern Conference on Avian Diseases (NECAD), Penn State University, Sept. 17, 2025, p. 70
• Proceedings of the 97^th Annual Northeastern Conference on Avian Diseases (NECAD), Penn State University, Sept. 17, 2025, p. 71
• Perera, R., J. M. Santamaria, C. N. Beck, G. F. Erf, A. Alrubaye, and P. Jesudhasan. 2025. Comparison of B lymphocyte responses in broiler chickens vaccinated with electron beam or formalin inactivated Staphylococcus aureus. International Poultry Scientific Forum Abstracts: page 22, abstract M53.
• Roberts, D. F., M. Santamaria, A. J. Forga, C. N. Beck, G. F. Erf, and B. D. Graham. 2025. The growing feather pulp as a dermal test site in turkeys: Insights from the early acute inflammatory response to lipopolysaccharide. International Poultry Scientific Forum Abstracts: page 63, abstract T166.
• Santamaria, J. M., C. N. Beck, R. M. Perera, P. R. Jesudhasan, and G. F. Erf. 2025. Secondary immune response profiles to electron beam irradiated and formalin-inactivated Salmonella vaccines in egg-type pullets: immunogenic differences. International Poultry Scientific Forum Abstracts: page 65, abstract T174.
• Santamaria, J. M., C. N. Beck, A. Forga, K. A. Matusik, D. Cortes, M. Martinez, J. Higuita, K. Echevarria, Z. Dou, G. F. Erf, and D. Graham. 2025. The effects of primary and secondary immunizations with Histomonas meleagris cathepsin protease recombinant protein in different vehicles on local and systemic immune responses in turkeys. Poultry Science Association Meeting Abstracts: page 146, abstract 318.
• Sato- Effect of Amino Acid Polymorphisms in the Basic Region of the Meq Oncoprotein of Marek’s Disease Virus on its Transactivation Activity and Virulence. Jumpei Sato, Aoi Kurokawa, Yoshinosuke Motai, Shunsuke Yamagami, Shwe Y. Win, Fumiya Horio, Hikaru Saeki, Naoya Maekawa, Tomohiro Okagawa, Benedikt Kaufer, Nikolaus Osterrieder, Mark S. Parcells, Satoru Konnai, Kazuhiko Ohashi, Shiro Murata. 49^th International Herpesvirus Workshop, July 26 – 30, 2025, p. 275
• Shah, B.K., S. Majeed, N. Khalid, P. Arora, A. Nazmi. 2025. Effect of in-ovo administration of bovine milk osteopontin on hatchability, chick quality, performance, and immune system development in hatched chicks. Poultry Science Annual Meeting, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Oral presentation
• Sparling, B., Ng, T., and Drechsler, Y. Oral Presentation. Western University of Health Sciences Report. NE-2334 Genetic Bases for Resistance and Immunity to Avian Diseases, Champagne, IL. October 2^nd – 3^rd, 2024
• Sparling, B. A., Le, H., Ng, T. T., and Drechsler, Y. 2025. Assessing cell-type population differences in the jejunum of uninfected and coccidia-infected BQ and B19 chickens using spatial and single-cell transcriptomics. Poultry Science Association Annual Meeting Proceedings, July 15–18, 2024, Louisville, KY, USA. Abstract 452P. Poultry Science Association.
• Taylor, R. L., Jr. and J. E. Fulton. 2025. Identifying chicken alloantigens to understand their influence on disease and production traits. Poult. Sci. 105:257 abstract 582S
• Uribe-Diaz, S., J. M. Santamaria, C. N. Beck, A. Stein, R. F. Rosalino-Marcon, A. J. Uribe-Serrano, J. Angel-Isaza, G. Tellez-Isaias, B. M. Hargis, and G. F. Erf. 2025. Immunomodulatory effects of essential oils on the in vivo acute inflammatory responses initiated by intradermal injection of Salmonella lipopolysaccharide in broiler chickens under heat stress conditions. International Poultry Scientific Forum Abstracts: page 19, abstract M45.