Use of biotechnical methods in veterinary medicine

Biotechnological methods offer promising approaches for improved diagnostic and prophylactic purposes. The following biotechnological techniques are used in the Institute of Virology at the Hanover Veterinary School:--Production of monoclonal antibodies directed against viral and bacteria-specific antigens such as bovine virus diarrhoea virus, classical swine fever (hog cholera) virus, feline leukaemia virus, animal parvoviruses, Alphavirus, Brucella and Francisella--Establishment of improved and sensitive diagnostic enzyme immunoassays (ELISA) using monoclonal antibodies--Molecular cloning and sequencing of classical swine fever virus RNA and parvovirus DNA--Development of diagnostic hybridisation techniques (dot, slot, Southern and Northern blot, in situ, oligonucleotides)--Detection of viral genomes in tissues of infected animals--Development of synthetic oligopeptides as diagnostic antigens and as potential immunogens for vaccines. Currently available techniques used in basic research (e.g. pathogenesis studies) will be tested for their application in routine diagnosis of viral diseases, e.g. by molecular hybridisation. Some techniques need to be simplified (e.g. RNA extraction procedures) and, particularly, alternative labelling schedules must be developed (e.g. biotin or sulfone labelling instead of radionuclides).