The Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine received 25 research grants totaling $2.5 million in funding in fiscal year 2021.* Funding came from federal and state institutions, private foundations and nonprofits and industry and academic partners.

Examples of standout projects illustrating our impact on animal and human health are found below. For a holistic overview of our research, please visit our research page. 

 

Highlighted Projects

"Expansion of COVID-19 Testing Capacity at the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory"

Principal investigator: Justin Sanders

The CCVM's Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, in partnership with WVT Laboratory, provides critical SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic testing capacity for area hospitals, long-term care facilities and clinics. In addition, OVDL/WVT provides testing for Oregon State University's TRACE-COVID-19 public health project. The OVDL's objectives for this testing are:

  1. To consistently produce accurate testing results
  2. To provide results within an actionable timeframe
  3. Be a service to the community

This project doubled testing capacity at the OVDL and streamlined the testing process to better meet these objectives. 

 

"The Role of Ubiquitin and Ubiquitin-Like Molecules in Direct Antigen Presentation"

Principal investigator: Brian Dolan 

Recent advances in tumor immunotherapy have shown promising results indicating that the body's immune system can be activated to recognize and kill tumor cells. We are studying the underlying cell biology that allows tumor cells to be recognized by cytotoxic T cells of the adaptive immune system. This knowledge will lead to better prognostics to indicate which tumors may be better targets for immunotherapy and what other treatments may be successfully combined with immunotherapies. 

 

"Genome-wide Analysis of Lateral Gene Transfer in Chlamydia trachomatis"

Principal Investigator: Dan Rockey

This two-year award works to conduct quantitative and qualitative analyses of lateral gene transfer in the human pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis. These organisms actively share DNA within the species and the mechanism of this transfer is unknown. Understanding gene transfer in chlamydia will help understand ways that these pathogens might become antibiotic resistant in the future.  

 

“Acetylation of Virulence Factor Regulatory Proteins in Vibrio cholerae”

Principal Investigator: Claudia Hase

To survive and efficiently replicate in the host, bacterial pathogens must adapt their metabolism to the conditions at the infection site. Infection by the human pathogen Vibrio cholerae involves multiple adaptation processes that ultimately lead to virulence factor production in the human small intestine. Previous findings suggest a link between virulence gene regulation and cellular metabolism via the central metabolite acetyl-CoA in V. cholerae. In collaboration with colleagues at the Technical University of Denmark, we propose to examine the link between metabolic changes and virulence, with a focus on virulence factor regulation via protein acetylation in Vibrio cholerae. Identifying a mechanistic link between central bacterial metabolism and regulation of virulence factor production could provide new targets for antimicrobial therapy.

*Data provided by the Oregon State University Research Office. Unrounded total: $2,547,983. FY 2021 ran from July 2020 through June 2021.