ADDRESSING THE EFFECTS OF MIRNAS DERIVED FROM BOVINE COLOSTRAL EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES ON THE IMMUNE RESPONSE TO ENTERIC INFECTIONS IN NEONATAL CALVES

The overall goal of this project is to characterize theextracellular vesicles-derived microRNAs (EVs-miRNAs) from colostrum of healthy dairy cows and subsequently, identify the specific miRNAs that can impact the inflammatory response of the gastrointestinal tract in neonatal dairy calves. This project is designed to be a combination of in vitro assays and an in vivo calf trial. Theintegrated objectives are:Identify EVs-miRNAs derived from bovine colostrum that are involved in the regulation of immune-related genes and intestinal cell proliferation.Delineate the mechanisms underlying the effects of miRNAs in the gastrointestinal tractresponse during acute inflammation in neonatal calves.