We are running a program centered on early, systems‑level understanding of enteric infections and rapid, field‑ready diagnostics for livestock health. My group studies the earliest host–pathogen interactions in the gut and the local immune–microbiome interface, integrating microbiology, immunology, and multi‑omics (shotgun proteomics, metaproteomics, and targeted assays) to derive actionable markers for surveillance, treatment decisions, and animal welfare outcomes. This agenda aligns with EUPAHW’s mission to prevent and control infectious animal diseases, use antimicrobials prudently, and deliver sustainable production via a One Health/One Welfare approach.
We are seeking to join (or help shape) a consortium under Topic 2: Prevention & Control to co‑develop and validate innovative diagnostics and surveillance strategies that reduce antimicrobial use and improve resilience against priority enteric pathogens in ruminants (e.g., Cryptosporidium, Giardia , E. coli, Salmonella).
Specifically, we can contribute to projects relate :
->Rapid molecular diagnostics: design and validation of qPCR/HRM and CRISPR‑adjacent workflows for subtype‑level detection directly from non - invasive e.g. fecal , saliva, milk samples, with clear sample‑to‑answer standard operating procedures for farm and regional lab contexts.
->Host–microbiome–pathogen systems readouts: metaproteomic and targeted proteomic assays that quantify mucosal immune effectors, pathogen virulence factors, and microbiome functional enzymes in one run, enabling integrated risk scoring.
->Mechanistic insight into early infection: ex vivo organoid and cell‑based readouts to profile epithelial–immune crosstalk and barrier function during initial colonization, informing vaccine/biocontrol targeting and biosecurity prioritization.

Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Science is a leading search entity in Estonia with a strong focus on both basic and applied animal health research with sound track record in handing EU level grants.