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Fiona Tomley
Protozoan parasites of the genus Eimeria cause coccidiosis, a severe enteritis that affects many livestock species and is most serious in poultry. The parasites are transmitted by the faecal-oral route and they rapidly invade epithelial cells of the gut, causing severe damage and leading to the build-up of heavy parasite loads in the environment. In the absence of measures to control Eimeria parasites, outbreaks of severe clinical coccidiosis with high morbidity and mortality are inevitable.
Fiona's research aims to understand the interaction of Eimeria parasites with the chicken in order to develop better control through vaccination. Much of her research has focused on the molecular mechanisms of parasite invasion and the characterisation of classes of proteins, derived from different parasite subcellular compartments (parasite surface and secretory organelles), involved in the process. Several have been evaluated as potential vaccine antigens in chickens. She has been involved in studies on the cellular invasion of related apicomplexan protozoan parasites through collaboration with a number of other laboratories. Together with Dr Damer Blake at the RVC, she is integrating studies on Eimeria population diversity to predict the likely responses of parasites in the field to the introduction of subunit or vectored-vaccines, and is developing the use of Eimeria parasites as novel vaccine vectors for poultry with support from BBSRC and industry. More recently the group has begun to work on the poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae, an emerging ectoparasitic disease that is causing severe welfare problems in laying hens throughout Europe.