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Press release.
25/05/2009
Animal infectious diseases: INRA coordinates new network of animal experimentation platforms for 16 partners from 8 European countries
Launched last 19th May, the NADIR European network, coordinated by INRA (Animal Health Centre of INRA-Tours), links infectious disease and animal disease research platforms. The network brings together 16 partners from 8 countries, with INRA and AFSSA representing France. At a time when infectious animal diseases pose a major public health threat in Europe and the world, NADIR seeks to exploit the synergies and complementary aspects of experimental facilities, in order to reinforce areas of expertise and optimise the use of resources. These facilities will also be made available to other public and private partners.
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INRA is one of several European structures with the necessary facilities for the study of type 3 agents (on a scale of 4) under strict biological safety standards. These structures have decided to collaborate closely to streamline research in animal infectious disease and facilitate the study of the majority of zoonoses, emerging diseases, and several other infectious diseases.
The Network for Animal Diseases and Infectiology Research facilities (NADIR) will strive to improve collaboration between partners, and in doing so, strengthen their capacity to provide reliable data on the physiopathology of emerging or highly-transmissible infectious diseases (modes of transmission, target organs and tissues, risk assessment), diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutic trials. NADIR will also allow partners access to the network’s facilities and contribute to improving regulations on ethical and safety issues.
“NADIR’s goal is to facilitate, at European level, the coherent development of closed installations that are in high demand from veterinary and biomedical research bodies in both the public and private sector. Our purpose is to find solutions that will protect animals and humans from new diseases," explained Frédéric Lantier, the network's coordinator and a researcher specialising in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies at INRA-Tours.
INRA participates in the NADIR project with the involvement of two research and two experimentation units, including the INRA-Tours Experimental Infectiology Platform. The platform was expanded recently with the inauguration in July 2008 of the Protected French Facility for Research on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (INPREST), the only Biosafety Level 3 structure in France, which can house small and large (bovine and ovine) animals in highly-secure conditions. This facility, as well as those of each NADIR partner, will be open to requests from public and private research institutes. Projects will be chosen by a panel of independent experts and funded by the European Commission, through a call for proposals to be launched soon by NADIR.
The European Commission, through the 7th Framework Progamme, has provided funding of 7.5 million euros over 4 years to NADIR and to the projects selected by the network.
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Written by :
INRA press service, phone: +33 (0)1 42 75 91 69
Laurent Cario, INRA Tours, Tel.: +33 (0)2 47 42 76 09
Contacts :
Scientific contact:
Frédéric Lantier
Animal Health Division
Tel: +33 (0)2 47 42 78 68
frederic.lantier@tours.inra.fr
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