Aquaculture is a key player to ensure future food and nutrition security. However, intensive farming models are leading to a dramatic increase in infection outbreaks that drastically impact fish health, food production, the environment and this industry's bottom line. Current strategies to control and prevent infections in intensive aquaculture (mainly vaccines and antibiotics) have important drawbacks, which pose a great challenge to the future sustainability of global fish production. Here, we propose to transform the aquaculture future through a paradigm change in infectious-disease management practices by providing industry with a pioneering pathogen-trapping technology, PathoGelTrap, able to target and remove specific pathogens directly from water. Going way beyond the state of the art, we will use the current knowledge on self-assembling properties of the Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation proteins (LLPS) and affibodies (AFB) to rationally design a chimeric biomimetic material (LLPS-AFB chimera) that will efficiently recognize and trap fish pathogens (both viruses and bacteria) directly in the water and inactivate them. Thanks to the versatility offered by LLPS proteins, we propose to provide the industry with two different solutions: i) PathoGelTrap Liquid (only for closed fish farms): here the LLPS-AFB monomeric protein acts as a flocculant agent to be added in situ, i.e. directly into the fish-farm water. The protein will bind the targeted pathogens in the water and later self-assemble into liquid droplets that will evolve into hydrogels, which will drag in turn the pathogen to the bottom; ii) PathoGelTrap Filter: here we will cast a customized LLPS-AFB hydrogel to be used as a preformed filter that will trap the pathogens as they pass through the regular aquaculture filtration systems. This proposal represents a significant advance in biomaterial engineering opening the door for a revolutionary approach for infectious disease control in Aquaculture.

DELTA-FLU aims to determine the key viral, host-related, and environmental factors that determine the dynamics of avian influenza (AI) in poultry and other host species, with the goal of improving prevention and control strategies against this disease. As a result of rapidly changing dynamics, AI continues to cause unexpected and devastating outbreaks in poultry in the EU, as well as world-wide. Its potential to become pandemic is also of great concern to public health. The key viral, host-related, and environmental factors that drive AI dynamics are poorly understood, which currently impedes the development of effective control and prevention strategies. As the problems caused by AI require global solutions, DELTA-FLU is a consortium with top-level experts from Europe, North America, and Asia. Through interdisciplinary research focused on key questions of AI, DELTA-FLU will determine 1) potential for some highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIV, e.g. H5N8 clade 2.3.4.4) to be maintained in wild bird populations and spread over long-distances, 2) key viral, host, and environmental factors for incursion of HPAIV from wild birds into poultry holdings, 3) roles of viral, host, and environmental factors in the transition of low pathogenic avian influenza virus to HPAIV in poultry, 4) effect of flock immunity against AI on early detection and viral genetic drift, and 5) viral genetic factors that allow reassortants of avian and mammalian influenza viruses to transmit efficiently among pigs. Primary sectors and end-users are involved through participation in the Multi-Actor Panel, which will also play an important role in the translation of the results into effective prevention and control strategies. As such, DELTA-FLU will make significant advances in knowledge of AIV dynamics and provide the evidence base for improved diagnosis, prevention, and control strategies for AI in poultry, as well as for reducing the possible risk of AI to become potentially pandemic.

h-ALO aims to develop and demonstrate in real-setting a new photonic-based sensor which will allow local food producers and retailers to control food quality and safety, therefore increasing competitiveness in the whole food production value chain. The sensor will provide: • Unprecedented high sensitivity, low limit-of-detection and large dynamic range compared to previously developed portable systems through the combination of an analyte pre-concentration and a multi-modal detection scheme; • Miniaturization and integration of optoelectronic and plasmonic components allowing portability in optical detection; • Multiplex-analyte recognition, allowing the unprecedented detection of both microbiological and chemical contaminants such as pesticides/antiparasitic, heavy metals, micro-organisms; • Easy and fast sample preparation protocols which are adaptable for a wide range of food samples; • Measurement automation and fast response, making the sensor reliable for on-site use by farmers, retailers and non-expert operators; • Mobile-phone connectivity and cloud-based data management allowing a distributed, anonymous food monitoring along the farm-to-fork chain. The innovative technologies at the basis of the h-ALO sensor are: i) highly integrated organic/hybrid photonic components as light-source and photodetector; ii) nanoplasmonic biofunctionalized surface assessing innovative multimodal optical transduction; iii) innovative aptamer- and immunoassay-based bio-recognition elements for multiplexing; iv) a smart microsieve membrane for analyte pre-concentration. The h-ALO prototype will be validated in lab by quantitative comparison with benchmark commercially available methods and demonstrated on-site in small selected agri-food chains such as aquaponics, craft beer, raw milk and organic honey, and introduced into an HACCP manual.

ZIKAction proposes to set up a multidisciplinary research network across Latin America with a focus on maternal and child health to coordinate and implement urgent research against the current ZIKV outbreak and lay the foundation for a preparedness research network against future emerging severe infectious threats in these vulnerable populations. Our Consortium brings together Latin American and European leaders in paediatric infectious disease research, including virologists, epidemiologists, immunologists and obstetric, neonatal and paediatric practitioners, all with a wealth of experience in vertical transmission (VT) studies, a group uniquely placed to evaluate the potentially causative relationship between ZIKV and severe reported complications. ZIKAction will collect data from prospective cohorts of pregnant women and infants to assess ZIKV complications with the necessary level of evidence which is currently lacking. Complementary work in virology will take advantage of repeated biological samples from these cohorts, while pathogenesis studies on animal models will elucidate risk factors and mechanisms of VT. Partners’ experience in conducting trials among pregnant women and children and close contact with other relevant researchers will allow rapid launch of additional interventional studies, including the addition of sites and partners, to address remaining research gaps against ZIKV. Recognizing the breadth and complexity of the research questions presented by the current ZIKV epidemic and the potential for future severe emerging infectious threats, ZIKAction will actively seek out collaborations with relevant initiatives already existing or under development to maximize synergy and avoid duplication of efforts. Our focus on vertical transmission and maternal and child health would nicely complement a range of other activities including clinical and laboratory studies in the general population, surveillance, and work in public health and prevention.

VetBioNet seeks to complement and strengthen the present European capacity and competence to meet the challenges of (re)emerging infectious diseases by establishing a comprehensive network of pre-eminent European BSL3 infrastructures, international organisations, and industry partners that is dedicated to advance research on epizootic and zoonotic diseases and to promote technological developments. To reach this overall objective VetBioNet will: -Promote and facilitate Transnational Access (TNA) to the infrastructure resources of the network, including BSL3 animal experimental facilities and laboratories, technological platforms, and sample collections. -Promote technological development by involving private partners in the Integrating Activity of the network and by providing a communication platform for bidirectional exchange with industry stakeholders. -Enhance the preparedness of the major European BSL3 research infrastructures to accelerate the respond to (re)emerging epizootic and zoonotic threats by sharing capacities beyond the infrastructures. -Harmonise Best Practices and promote the use of global standards in European BSL3 infrastructures. -Forge cooperative relationships with non-European BSL3 infrastructures, research institutes, industrial partners, international organisations, and policy makers. -Ensure high ethical standards and clarify the social impact of VetBioNet research work. -Develop and implement a Sustainability Plan for the network to continue beyond the five-year term of funding. -Carry out Joint Research Activities (JRAs) designed to improve the scientific and technological standards of the integrated services provided by the network infrastructures. The establishment of this network and the realisation of the proposed work programme will help to advance the efficiency of European research on emerging epizootic and zoonotic diseases, which in turn will lead to the development of adequate and robust prevention and control measures.