Designing recombinant proteins to improve appetite and gastrointestinal health in periparturient dairy cows.

Title: Designing recombinant proteins to improve appetite and gastrointestinal health inperiparturient dairy cows.Project Summary: The USDA-NIFA has prioritized improving animal health and productionwhile generating more economically-viable animal production systems however newpharmaceutical products to improve dairy cattle health are surprisingly uncommon. ScienssBiotechnology LLC (SB) has the technology innovation and flexibility to respond to thisunique opportunity. This SBIR Phase I proposes new solutions to improve health andproductivity of dairy cattle by addressing the core origins of most metabolic and diseaseproblems that occur in lactating dairy cows the transitional periparturient period and associatednegative energy balance (NEB) and systemic inflammation.SB will address these problems and associated commercial opportunities by developingproprietary recombinant proteins designed to stimulate appetite and GI health in transition dairycows. Long-acting glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) will be designed to optimize function of GItract and thereby reduce systemic inflammation in transitional dairy cows. Furthermore a long- acting recombinant ghrelin protein will be designed to stimulate appetite and reduce NEB inperiparturient dairy cows. Thus the long-term goals of this project are to produce validate andcommercialize recombinant GLP-2 ghrelin and other proteins to improve health and function ofcattle thereby increasing economic viability sustainability and efficiency of US dairy farms.Three specific objectives are proposed:Specific Objective 1: Express long-acting recombinant GLP-2 and ghrelin in 293F cells andevaluate immunological activity by ELISA.Specific Objective 2: Determine in vitro activity of native and recombinant GLP-2 and ghrelinusing specific bioassays.Specific Objective 3: Determine in vivo biological activity and half-life for recombinant GLP-2and ghrelin.