Etiology, pathogenesis, prevention and control technology of zoonotic diseases, mainly involving coronavirus, rotavirus streptococcosis, colibacillosis, etc.

I.Team History and Overview:

The Animal Mycoplasma innovation team of Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences has a long history, originating from the "Swine Enzootic Pneumonia Prevention and Control Research Group" established by He Zhengli in 1958, with Jin Hongxiao, Shao Guoqing and Feng Zhixin as the team leaders. After four generations of research, we have successively developed safe and efficient live vaccine against mycoplasmal pneumonia of swine (168 strains), inactivated vaccine against mycoplasmal pneumonia of swine (NJ strain) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae ELISA antibody (sIgA) detection kits, all of which have achieved industrialization and application, breaking the monopoly of foreign inactivated vaccines on China's market. It promoted the progress of mycoplasma pneumonia prevention and control technology and the healthy development of pig industry. In 2022, the team integrated the research strength of mycoplasma in pigs, poultry, cattle and sheep, and set up an animal mycoplasma research center.

Team photo

1. Team Development

2. Team Achievements

In 1978	Jiangsu Province Science and Technology Award Cell-free culture medium and isolation technique of Mycoplasma pneumoniae
In 1981	Jiangsu Province Science and Technology Award Diagnosis of swine enzootic pneumonia by microparticle agglutination, establish a healthy population free of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and strain identification
In 1990	Jiangsu Province Science and Technology progress Award Studies on the cultivation and immunogenicity of attenuated strains of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae
In 2007	National New Veterinary Drug Registration Certificate (Class II) Live vaccine against Mycoplasmal pneumonia of swine (168 strains)
In 2009	Jiangsu Province Science and Technology progress Award Study on the development of the live vaccine against Mycoplasmal pneumonia of swine (168 strains) and control technology
In 2011	China Agricultural Science and technology first prize Development of vaccine against mycoplasmal pneumonia of swine and integrated application of comprehensive prevention and control technology
In 2011	The 5th China Technology Market Association Golden Bridge Award Live vaccine against Mycoplasmal pneumonia of swine (168 strains)
In 2015	The second prize of the State Technological Invention Award Development and application of safe and efficient live vaccine against mycoplasmal pneumonia of swine
In 2015	The 17th China Patent Excellence Award An attenuated Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae strain
In 2018	National New Veterinary Drug Registration Certificate (Class III) Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae ELISA antibody (sIgA) detection kit
In 2018	National New Veterinary Drug Registration Certificate (Class III) Inactivated Vaccine against mycoplasmal pneumonia of swine (NJ strain)
In 2020	First prize of Science and Technology Award of Jiangsu Science and Technology Consulting Association Innovation and application of mucosal diagnostic technology for Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae
In 2021	Excellent Innovation Team Award of Shennong China Agricultural Science and Technology Award
In 2022	Great Northern Agriculture Science and Technology Innovation Award Establishment of aerosol immunization technology for swine vaccine

II. Team research direction

The team mainly focuses on animal mycoplasma research, and has three directions: etiology and immunology of animal mycoplasma disease, prevention and control technology and products of animal mycoplasma disease, epidemiology and clinical services of animal mycoplasma disease.

1. Animal mycoplasma disease etiology and immunology. The research focuses on the mechanism and platform technology of mycoplasma persistent infection in pigs, poultry, cattle and sheep, as well as the mechanism of co-infection with other respiratory pathogens.

2. Animal mycoplasma disease prevention and control technology and products. Focus on the development of new vaccines, drugs and diagnostic reagents for mycoplasma disease in pigs, poultry, cattle and sheep, as well as related platform technologies.

3. Epidemiology and clinical services of animal mycoplasma disease. The research and technical services focus on animal mycoplasma epidemiology resource and information database, pathogen detection and monitoring, comprehensive prevention and control and purification technology.

III. Team personnel structure

Senior Chief of the team: Prof. Shao Guoqing

Shao Guoqing, senior chief of the team, second-level researcher, doctoral supervisor, President of Asia Mycoplasma Organization (AOM) (2018-present), the first-level training object of "333 High-level Talents" in Jiangsu Province (2016-2020). He has won the honorary titles of "Special Government Allowance" by The State Council; Jiangsu May 1st Labor Medal, Jiangsu Excellent Scientific and Technological Worker, and Jiangsu Young and middle-aged experts with outstanding contributions.

Team Leader: Feng Zhixin

Team leader Feng Zhixin, Doctor of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, researcher, graduate supervisor (Mississippi State University, USA, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Nanjing Agricultural University, etc.), young and middle-aged academic technology leaders of Jiangsu Province "333 High-level Talent Training Project" and "Six high-level talent Peaks" high-level talents. He is also the executive director of Mycoplasma Organization of Asia, the director of the Branch of Animal Infectious Diseases of the Chinese Society of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, the member of the Zoonotic etiology Committee of the Chinese Society of Microbiology, and the expert member of the Animal Epidemic Prevention Expert Advisory Committee of Jiangsu Province.

Team Assistant:

Research fellow Xiong Qiyan

Research fellow Liu Maojun

Research fellow Ouyang Wei

Research fellow Li Wenliang

Team Student Committee:

Director: Xiong Qiyan  Deputy Director: Ou Yangwei

Members (in alphabetical order by pinyin of last name) : Bai Yun, Chen Rong, Feng Zhixin, Liu Maojun, Li Wenliang, Shao Guoqing, Xie Xing, Xu Bin, Yu Yanfei, Zhang Zhenzhen

In the past five years, the team has presided over and undertaken 32 projects at or above the national and provincial levels, including 11 projects of the National Natural Science Foundation and 7 projects of the National key research and development plan. The team has published 75 papers related to mycoplasma, including 36 SCI papers and 6 books. 43 national invention patents were authorized, including 2 European and American PCT patents; Six standards have been formulated.

IV. Team management and culture

Team operation adopts Dingding and Teambition software to achieve efficient and convenient working mode anytime, anywhere, and improve team communication and collaboration efficiency. The research team and PI system shall be established in the project execution, and PI shall be set up in each team to take charge of project communication and promotion, and carry out regular project reporting and discussion.

The team holds a learning team building meeting every 1-2 years to create a good atmosphere of team coordination and standardized management; Advocate team members to persist in learning, sharing learning, so that learning becomes a life attitude; Guide team members to pursue the philosophy of "happiness, health, truth and simplicity", and the high sense of responsibility of "doing everything well is called success"; The idea of common goals, common interests and common destiny. Lead the team to gradually transform from a professional community to a business community and a community of destiny.

2010-2020 Learning team building:

The 1st 2010 "Excellent Staff Cultivation"

2nd 2012 "Set the Benchmark, Start from Scratch"

3rd 2013 "Clear focus, Self-examination, Improve ability"

The 4th 2014 "Normative Behavior, Target Learning, Guarantee focus"

5th 2016 "Faith, Innovation, Dedication"

6th 2017 "Existential Crisis and Common Goals"

The 7th 2020 "Never Forget the original heart, The heart is tied to the same place"

Etiology, genomics, rapid diagnosis and detection technology, epidemiology, pathogenic mechanism, infection and immune mechanism, vaccine development, comprehensive prevention and control technology of major rabbit diseases, etc., including rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD), rabbit Multocida pasteurellosis, rabbit Bordetella bronchiseptica disease, Clostridum perfringens, and Salmonellosis enteritidis

Etiology, pathogenesis, detection, prevention and control of major cattle, sheep and goat diseases, mainly involving bovine viral diarrhea/mucosal disease, Mycoplasma bovis, parainfluenza virus type 3 (BPIV3), Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (Mo), Border disease (BD), Escherichia coli, etc.

Etiology and epidemiology, immune and pathogenic mechanism, new vaccines and diagnostic technologies of avian influenza, Newcastle disease (ND), avian infectious bronchitis, infectious bursal disease, duck viral hepatitis, Tembusu virus disease, new duck reovirus disease, new duck parvovirus disease, and new goose astrovirus disease.

Epidemic mechanisms, diagnosis, immune prevention and control technologies of canine distemper, canine parvovirus, etc.

The Veterinary Diagnostic Testing Center of Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (hereinafter referred to as the “Center” for short) is affiliated to Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS) and subordinate to the Institute of Veterinary Medicine. It is a third-party testing service institution with CMA qualification. The Center was selected as the Key Laboratory of JAAS in 2017. Based on the technology advantages of the Institute of Veterinary Medicine and adhering to the service tenet of “Integrity, science, accuracy and efficiency”, the Center carries out the diagnosis and testing of swine, poultry, cattle, sheep, rabbit and other livestock and poultry epidemic diseases, as well as the detection and clinical trial of veterinary biological products, etc.

The Center consists of a molecular biology diagnostic laboratory, a bacterial diagnostic laboratory, a virus diagnostic laboratory and a serological diagnostic laboratory, etc., equipped with advanced instruments for pathogeny, serology, molecular biology and physical and chemical detection. It has the capacity to carry out the independent diagnosis of various animal epidemics, antigen and antibody detection, drug sensitivity test, pathogen isolation and identification, etc., to provide scientific, accurate, fair and impartial test results for the clients.

Service Content:

1. Diagnosis, detection and identification of swine, poultry, cattle, sheep, rabbit and other animal epidemics and difficult diseases;

2. Detection of African swine fever (authorized by Jiangsu Provincial Center for Animal Disease Prevention and Control)

3. Effect evaluation of livestock and poultry vaccines and monitoring of antibody levels;

4. Help breeding enterprises (households) to develop scientific and effective epidemic prevention, control and purification plans;

5. Guide breeding enterprises (households) in medication, disinfection, and biosafety;

6. Provide technical consultation, outpatient service and technical training for breeding enterprises (households);

7. Provide vocational skills training for veterinary practitioners on clinical diagnosis and laboratory testing of animal epidemics;

8. Provide one-stop, customized veterinary technical services for breeding enterprises (households);

9. Undertake the epidemic surveillance tasks of government departments, industry associations, etc.;

10. Organize domestic and foreign industry experts to hold knowledge lectures and technical training and build a communication platform for livestock and poultry breeding, epidemic prevention and control and related industrial chain

Technical Service:

The Center has carried out extensive foreign technology services, provided veterinary technical services to more than 500 farms and farmers in the province so far, and improved the direct economic benefits of related breeding enterprises by more than 50 million yuan through the implementation of science and technology projects and the promotion of epidemic prevention and control technologies. It has conducted more than 100 breeding technology training and lectures in various places of the province, trained over 8,000 trainees, and made a lot of contributions to promoting the development of breeding in the province and the increase of farmers income, receiving wide praise in the industry inside and outside the province.

Etiology, genomics, rapid diagnosis and detection technology, epidemiology, pathogenic mechanism, infection and immune mechanism, vaccine development, comprehensive prevention and control technology of major chicken diseases, etc.