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| Formation | 1987; 38 years ago (1987) |
|---|---|
| Legal status | Government-fundedresearch institute (registered charity) |
| Purpose | Farm animal health and diseases in the UK |
| Location | |
Region served | United Kingdom |
| Membership | Around 350 staff – half researchers, half operations |
Director | Bryan Charleston |
Parent organization | BBSRC |
| Affiliations | DEFRA |
| Budget | c. £30 million |
| Website | www |
Formerly called | Institute for Animal Health |
ThePirbright Institute (formerly theInstitute for Animal Health) is aresearch institute inSurrey, England, dedicated to the study ofinfectious diseases offarm animals. It forms part of theUK government'sBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The institute employs scientists, vets, PhD students, and operations staff.
It began in 1914 to test cows fortuberculosis. More buildings were added in 1925. Compton was established by theAgricultural Research Council in 1937. Pirbright became a research institute in 1939 and Compton in 1942. The Houghton Poultry Research Station atHoughton, Cambridgeshire was established in 1948. In 1963 Pirbright became the Animal Virus Research Institute and Compton became the Institute for Research on Animal Diseases. The Neuropathogenesis Unit (NPU) was established in Edinburgh in 1981. This became part of theRoslin Institute in 2007.[citation needed]
In 1987, Compton, Houghton and Pirbright became theInstitute for Animal Health, being funded by BBSRC. Houghton closed in 1992, operations at Compton ended in 2015.[1][2]TheEdward Jenner Institute for Vaccine Research was sited at Compton until October 2005, when it merged with the vaccine programmes of the University of Oxford and the Institute for Animal Health.[3]
The Pirbright site was implicated in the2007 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak, with theHealth and Safety Executive (HSE) concluding that a local case of the disease was a result of contaminated effluent release either from the Pirbright Institute or the neighbouringMerial Animal Health laboratory.[4]
Significant investment (over £170 million) took place at Pirbright with the development of new world-class laboratory and animal facilities.[citation needed] The institute has been known as "The Pirbright Institute" since October 2012.
On 14 June 2019 the largest stock of therinderpest virus was destroyed at the Pirbright Institute.[5]
The work previously carried out at Compton has either moved out to the university sector, ended or has been transferred to the Pirbright site. The Compton site currently carries out work onendemic (commonplace) animal diseases including some avian viruses and a small amount of bovine immunology whilst Pirbright works on exotic (unusual) animal diseases (usually caused by virus outbreaks). Pirbright has national and international reference laboratories of diseases. It is abiosafety level 4 laboratories (commonly referred to as "P4" or BSL-4).
25% of its income comes from a core grant from the BBSRC of around £11 million. Around 50% comes from research grants from related government organisations, such as DEFRA, or industry and charities (such as theWellcome Trust). The remaining 25% comes from direct payments for work carried out.[citation needed]
TheBill & Melinda Gates Foundation has provided funding to the institute for research into veterinaryinfectious diseases anduniversal flu vaccine development.[7][8][9]
The Pirbright Institute carries out research, diagnostics and surveillance ofviruses carried predominantly byfarm animals, such as foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), African swine fever, bluetongue, lumpy skin disease and avian and swine flu. Understanding of viruses comes frommolecular biology.[10]
It carries out surveillance activities on farm animal health and disease movement in the UK.
The institute had two sites:
The Edward Jenner Institute for Vaccine Research would move into a new era on November 1, 2005, merging with the vaccine programmes of the University of Oxford and the Institute for Animal Health (IAH). It would be led by Professor Adrian Hill, and would focus on human vaccine development at Oxford University and veterinary vaccines at the IAH.
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51°16′47″N0°38′06″W / 51.2797°N 0.6349°W /51.2797; -0.6349
