Per Skallerup

Primary fields of research

My research program is focused on genetic determinants of infectious diseases in pigs.

Short presentation

My research program is focused on genetic determinants of infectious diseases in pigs.
My current project aims at deciphering the genetic components controlling Staphylococcus aureus infections in pigs.

In my PhD I worked with the genetic components of Ascaris suum (roundworm) infection. This parasite has a global distribution and may be found in both large-scale and rural pig production systems. There is evidence that gene variants determine whether pigs are susceptible to infection or resistant. We have identified a genetic marker (single nucleotide polymorphism) on chromosome 4 which is associated with the number of A. suum worms in the pig. By comparing pigs with varying levels of resistance to A. suum, we have revealed some interesting differences in gene expression in mesenteric lymph nodes.
A close relative to A. suum infects humans. According to recent estimates, a billion people, primarily in the tropics, are infected with this parasite. We expect that the immunological mechanisms responsible for the variation in susceptibility to A. suum will be similar in humans.