Veterinary viral (vaccinia virus; recombinant vaccines; rinderpest virus; baculovirus and expression vectors) and other viral (human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV); simian immuno-deficiency virus (SIV); lymphokines) vaccine development. The primary mission of the International Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Tropical Disease Agents (ILMB) is to conduct a coordinated research program that brings together experts working on the molecular biology of human and animal tropical disease agents. In addition to the study of these agents and their pathogenic mechanisms, the ILMB has specific goals of vaccine development and diagnostic kit design that are intended to aid in tropical disease control. The ILMB has successfully transferred technologies in recombinant vaccines and rapid diagnostic kits for rinderpest to more than 30 countries in Africa . The ILMB is a collaborative laboratory and gets its funding from a number of national and international organizations including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the American Foundation of AIDS Research (AmFAR), the US Army, FAO/UN, etc. The ILMB focus on vaccine development is not limited to animal health. The search for safe and effective vaccines for smallpox and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection using simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in macaques as a model are a top priority, and comprises a growing component of our workload.
Visit Dr. Yilma's website: http://faculty.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/faculty/tdyilma/