Page 22 - VHSA - Onderstepoort 100 Years - Part 3

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ERSTEPOORT 100
Immunochemistry laboratory 1999
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vation. Potgieter further refined his cloning technique for dsRNA and completed the cloning of all the genes of all nine AHSV serotypes. The recombinant vaccine for AHSV-5 required by OBP was tested and proved to be effective, but insolubility problems still prevented large scale production. In the Immunology Programme W. (Wouter) van Wyngaardt further developed the Nkuku Library of chicken antibodies while Fehrsen explored techniques for the engineering of the antibodies expressed to improve their performance. Du Plessis continued work on a recombinant vaccine for contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (lungsickness) but also encountered the problem of insoluble antigen production.
Applied Biotechnology further developed its diagnostic capabilities and obtained SANAS accreditation for its Newcastle disease diagnostic laboratory. A large outbreak
Light cycler used for fast real-time PCR diagnostics
of avian influenza, which crippled the ostrich industry, led to the development of an RT-PCR diagnostic test by C. Abolnik, which contributed significantly to the containment of the disease. It also resulted in the laboratory being established as the central facility for the typing of these viruses in view of a possible introduction of the strain to which humans are susceptible.
In addition to the recombinant vaccines previously men- tioned, on which further developmental work continued, a new candidate emerged with the cloning by H. (Helga) Joubert of relevant genes of Clostridium botulinum, the cause of lamsiekte. Although variable expression of the genes was encountered, it holds promise as a potential improved vaccine. In a sense, therefore, research on an economically important disease which started a century ago is still being continued.
In conclusion, this brief historic overview illustrates a changing role for the biochemically oriented disciplines at Onderstepoort over the past century. From an essentially supportive role during the first 50 years, they gradually took over the role of innovators, introducing the molecular approach to the majority of other disciplines. The new technologies which changed the face of biological research worldwide had the same effect on research at Onderstepoort. Starting off as a relatively irrelevant study of the structure and functions of one of the simplest of organisms, a virus, it soon also involved the more complex organisms causing animal diseases. As the molecular techniques developed, their enormous potential for solving long-standing biological problems
were realized by more and more researchers. Application to diagnostics, vaccine development, epidemiology, immunology and other scientific activities soon followed and the successes achieved attracted students and researchers from South African universities and from further afield. Many
of these young scientists have subsequently left, taking their expertise in the new technologies to universities and research organisations in South Africa, Europe, North America and Australasia. Onderstepoort has therefore played a vital role in promoting molecular biology for the study of animal diseases, not only in South Africa but in widely separated countries around the globe.
PART 3
History of Individual Disciplines
1908-2008
Years