May 13, 2025

UK to intensify biosecurity technology programme against animal and plant diseases

The fight against pests and diseases, which costs the economy of the United Kingdom (UK) billions of pounds, has stepped up with £10 million of new funding for surveillance projects.

The Genomics for Animal and Plant Disease Consortium (GAP-DC) project led by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) will undertake surveillance across animal, plant and aquatic environments, using advanced genome sequencing technologies – a method that reads the complete genetic code of a living organism, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, or animals – to detect, identify and track pathogens with precision.

For example, when avian influenza is found in UK poultry, genome sequencing can help confirm the virus type, trace its spread, and detect any mutations, supporting disease control measures.

The UK faces significant and growing economic threats from pests and diseases affecting agriculture, livestock, and the environment. Invasive species alone cost the UK economy an estimated £4 billion annually, while plant pathogens and pests contribute to substantial crop losses.

Ash dieback—a disease of ash trees—is predicted to cost £15 billion to the UK in the coming decades. Livestock disease such as avian influenza can have devastating financial and societal consequences, and has been estimated to cost the poultry meat sector more than £100m over a two-year period.

APHA Interim Chief Executive Dr Jenny Stewart said that the funding will help APHA identify and tackle disease risk more effectively.

"This research will lead to significantly advanced surveillance capabilities to protect UK borders from new and existing threats," she said.

Dr Stewart added that research to be undertaken in collaboration with seven expert partners will include a focus on increasing the speed of pathogen detection at borders, addressing new and re-emerging disease outbreaks, developing new strategies to control and mitigate endemic disease, and an improved approach to working with stakeholders and the community. It will also investigate disease spillover from wild animals and plants – when a virus moves from one species to other, such as the transmission of the COVID-19 virus from bats to humans.

Oliver Pybus, professor and vice principal of the Royal Veterinary for Research and Innovation expressed support in contributing their research group's expertise in this initiative. "The consortium will further strengthen the UK's position as a world-leader in genomic surveillance for animal and plant pathogens," he said.

Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) lead professor David Bass is also backing up this programme.

"Cefas, an Executive Agency of Defra, has diverse expertise in marine and freshwater science, working for healthy and productive oceans, seas, and rivers, and safe and sustainable seafood. Genomic methods for pathogen surveillance and understanding the health of aquatic organisms are central to this mission, so we greatly value our participation in GAP-DC, and contributing to the UK's excellence and innovation in pathogen genomics," he said.

The £10 million of new funding provided by the Department for Environment, Rural and Food Affairs (Defra) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) will strengthen pathogen detection across the country over the next two years and help protect the UK economy, as part of the Government's Plan for Change.

-      GOV. UK