ANTIMICROBIAL PEPTIDES: NOVEL THERAPEUTICS FOR AVIAN PATHOGENIC E. COLI (APEC) INFECTIONS IN CHICKENS

Here, we plan to determine the therapeutic doses of peptides (P-1 and P-2) for drinking water delivery in chickens followed by testing the efficacy and safety of peptides in large number of chickens under conditions mimicking the field settings and/or natural APEC infections. We will further elucidate and/or validate the mechanism(s) of action (MOA) of peptides by measuring direct drug-target binding using biophysical methods as well as employing affinity-based pulldown and thermal proteome profiling (TPP) approaches.Our overall aim is to evaluate the efficacy, safety and applicability of identified anti-APEC peptides (P-1 and P-2) in drinking water of chickens and to elucidate/validate their mechanism(s) of action.This will be accomplished via conducting the studies described in the following objectives:Objective 1:Determine the therapeutic doses of peptides (P-1 and P-2) in drinking water ofchickens and evaluate efficacy, safety and applicability in large number of chickens under conditions mimicking the field settings and/or natural APEC infections.?Objective 2: Elucidate/validate themechanism(s) of action (MOAs) of peptides by measuring direct drug-target binding, affinity-based pulldown assay, andthermal proteome profiling.Our overarching goal is to develop these peptides as new anti-APEC therapeutics as an alternative to antibiotics. We expect that these peptides will provide a novel therapeutic solution to enhance the control of APEC infections in poultry, which will consequently promote the sustainable poultry production and benefit the public health.We will collaborate with Technology Commercialization Office (TCO), OSU and Ohio State Innovation Foundation to advance these peptides into commercial products and seek FDA approval.