One of the main research areas in the Sharif lab focuses on developing and enhancing vaccines against Avian Influenza Virus (AIV) using microbial compounds. AIV has always been a major thread to the poultry industry and it can cause damage to the respiratory, gastro-intestinal tract, reproductive and nervous systems. In our lab, we study tissues from infected chickens to examine immunological responses such as antibody-production. We are also investigating the efficacy of vaccines against this pathogen through methods such as virus injection into the amniotic fluid of eggs with developing embryos. A major objective of our lab is to develop more effective vaccines to reduce mortality in flocks and decrease virus shedding by infected chickens.
