New $1.9 million grant lets Montana State team deepen understanding of avian flu

BOZEMAN - With the support of a recent federal grant, a team of Montana State University microbiologists will spend the next three years expanding and deepening research into one of the world's most damaging agricultural viruses, capitalizing on cutting-edge facilities and technologies housed at the university.

Assistant professor Emma Loveday of the College of Agriculture's Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology is the lead investigator on a $1.9 million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study HPAI, or highly pathogenic avian influenza, more commonly known as "bird flu." Avian influenza viruses are very diverse and originate in wild aquatic birds, Loveday said. HPAI strains, such as H5N1, are responsible for extensive economic losses to poultry producers, who must cull their flocks to contain the virus's spread.

Loveday, along with professor Diane Bimczok and associate professor Matt Taylor of MSU's Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, and professor Ron June of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, will use the funding to support research examining how viral infection impacts cells in the chicken intestine.

"Knowing how infection differentially impacts cells can help us understand how the flu viruses grow, spread and propagate, which could open doors for treatment or prevention," Loveday said.

The funding comes from a national USDA initiative aiming to better understand HPAI. The increased focus stems from an instance in 2024 when avian flu spread to dairy cattle, Loveday said. It was one of the first known instances of that type of cross-species transmission, and HPAI has since been identified in dairy cattle in 19 states, though not in Montana. In addition to the agricultural impact, over the past 4 years H5N1 has caused lethal disease in wildlife across North and South America, and has caused over 70 human cases, though these remain rare.

Although numerous HPAI vaccines are currently in development, their efficacy is unclear, and vaccinating chickens could lead to producers being unable to sell their meat due to food safety regulations and trade restrictions. Being able to better understand how the virus moves and developing ways to prevent its spread may be a more effective approach, Loveday said.

"How do we help the industry manage this problem? Because when you have an outbreak on a farm, you have to cull all your birds," said Loveday. "Vaccination may not prevent full cases of disease, so it becomes this balance of finding the best strategy. "

MSU's study is unique, she added, because in much of recent HPAI research, scientists have examined the virus's impact on overall chicken health, but the MSU project will drill down to the cellular level. Because avian flu doesn't manifest through the coughs and sneezes common in human flu cases, it is transmitted through breath, feathers and waste in areas where chickens, ducks and similar birds are in close contact. Loveday, Bimczok and Taylor will develop dozens of different organoids - miniature organs cultivated in the lab that mimic different areas of the avian gut - to observe how they respond to infection. The organoids and data can also be shared with the scientific community so that others can use them for research as well.

"This award reflects not only Emma's strong expertise but also her ability to bring scientists together through collaboration," said Jovanka Voyich, head of the Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology. "By connecting talented researchers, she has built a dynamic team capable of tackling one of today's most pressing challenges in infectious disease research."

The MSU team will use some of the university's most innovative facilities in their research, including two of MSU's Core Facilities: the Bioimaging and Analytical Core Labs, housed in the Center for Biofilm Engineering, and the Cellular Analysis Core. Both allow for cellular behavior to be analyzed in precise detail thanks to extremely high-powered microscopes, cell sorters and advanced computers. The project will also make use of the Jutila Research Laboratory, one of the most advanced biosafety labs in the region. The facility is built to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention BSL3 specifications, and its staff is extensively trained to work with viruses like avian flu.

Combined with the cutting-edge equipment and labs they will use, Loveday said the research team itself is part of what makes the work so exciting. Bimczok, who is the director of the Cellular Analysis Core, is an expert in organoid models, while Taylor's work has explored viral evolution, biotechnology and immune system responses. Each faculty member will also oversee graduate students on the project, allowing for hands-on, high-level research experience for MSU students in facilities that are found nowhere else in Montana.

"When the HPAI grand challenge call came out, we knew we had the expertise to be competitive,'" said Loveday. "With our complementary expertise, we have a great team that has worked and published together before. Our prior experience and commitment to innovative and rigorous science is what sets this group apart."