BRAVE Innovation Center for Viral Resistance in Chickens
Official title: The Building Resistance Against Viral Entities (BRAVE) Innovation Center
Funded at University of Wisconsin-Madison · NIH-11641869 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A center at UW–Madison aims to create chickens genetically resistant to avian viruses like H5N1 by identifying host genes involved in virus replication using genome-wide CRISPR screening.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $25,000 |
| NIH project number | 3U18FD008464-03S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11641869 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
N/A (not a clinical trial; this is a veterinary or agricultural biotechnology project aimed at poultry).
✕Less likely to help
People with avian influenza or poultry producers may not directly benefit during early research phases.
What this research studies
This project seeks to develop chickens with genome alterations that confer resistance to deadly avian viruses, potentially reducing outbreaks and economic losses in poultry. Researchers will perform a broad CRISPR/Cas9 screen to find chicken genes that are critical for viral replication, starting with HPAI H5N1 and expanding to H7N9 and other viruses. The effort focuses on identifying host factors that can be safely and effectively modified to resist infection, with the goal of establishing a resistant poultry line. The work is conducted at the University of Wisconsin–Madison under the BRAVE Innovation Center umbrella, spanning multiple aims and years. Ethical, biosafety, and regulatory considerations will guide the development of genome-edited chickens for potential future application.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lead to fewer disease outbreaks in poultry, reducing economic losses and lowering zoonotic risk.
How similar studies have gone: Genome-wide screens have identified host factors for various viruses, but applying genome editing to create resistant poultry is still an emerging approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Halfmann, Peter Joseph — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Halfmann, Peter Joseph
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.