New llamas join Reading University research herd
South American animals are studied for nanobodies that could help deliver medical treatment for humans
Five new llamas have joined the herd at the University of Reading's Centre for Dairy Research, increasing the total number on the farm to 23.
The new arrivals, Denzil, Marlene, Raquel, Rodney, and Trigger, joined the facility in Arborfield in February.
They are a part of ongoing research at the university focused on nanobodies, miniature antibodies unique to certain animals, such as llamas.
The llamas are not harmed during the extraction process, which involves exposing them to a small quantity of a virus or protein.
Nanobodies are significantly smaller than standard human antibodies, making them easier to engineer into therapeutics and research tools.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the nanobodies from these llamas helped develop treatments for the virus, and research has now expanded into other areas, including bird flu, tropical Oropouche fever viruses, antimalarial drugs, cancer biomarkers, and pandemic preparedness.
The research is supported by Llamatech NBS, a project of the University of Reading aimed at exploring the commercial potential of their work through the ICURe Explore programme.
Dr Anna Selezneva, Business Development Officer for Nanobody Technical Service, highlighted the importance of continuing this research, saying: “Llamatech NBS is proud to be building on the University of Reading’s long-standing expertise in nanobody research and camelid care."
The programme's expansion includes efforts to make the nanobody service more accessible to researchers and industry partners, both in the UK and internationally.