Morris Animal Foundation awards $750,000 for studies on horses, alpacas

Morris Animal Foundation announced April 25 that it has awarded grants totaling nearly $750,000 to seven studies on the health of horses and one study on the health of alpacas.

The studies are as follows:

• "Efficacy of maternal immunization against PNAG to protect newborn foals against Rhodococcus equi pneumonia," Dr. Noah D. Cohen, Texas A&M University, $219,897.
• "Determining the role of diet in insulin dysregulation in horses and ponies: a metabolomic and microbiomic analysis," Dr. Molly E. McCue, University of Minnesota, $55,308.
• "Cell-mediated immunogenicity and MHC expression regulation of TGF-beta2–treated mesenchymal stem cells for improved clinical use in the horse," Dr. Lauren V. Schnabel, North Carolina State University, $131,479.
• "Effect of concurrent intravenous and intra-articular amikacin administration on plasma and synovial fluid amikacin concentrations in healthy neonatal foals," Dr. Mike J. Schoonover, Oklahoma State University, $52,436.
• "Deciphering the molecular mechanisms and transmission of macrolide resistance in Rhodococcus equi," Sonsiray Alvarez Narvaez, PhD, University of Georgia, $100,000.
• "Exploring the antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and chondroprotective properties of platelet-rich plasma lysate to combat infectious arthritis in vitro," Dr. Jessica Gilbertie, North Carolina State University, $100,000.
• "Molecular phenotyping of airway mast cell proteases in healthy versus asthmatic horses," Dr. Jane S. Woodrow, University of Tennessee, $10,800.
• "Shades of alpaca grey: genetic tools to prevent health problems in grey alpacas," Kylie A. Munyard, PhD, Curtin University, $79,000.