Swine Innovation Porc funds research to combat Streptococcus suis infections in piglets

Mar 23, 2026

Swine Innovation Porc (SIP) is investing in new research aimed at addressing Streptococcus suis, a bacterial pathogen that can cause respiratory disease, meningitis, and sudden death in post-weaned piglets, leading to significant animal health challenges and economic losses for producers.

The project, “Harnessing Lactobacillus: Engineering Bacteriophage Endolysins to Combat Streptococcus suis Infection in Post-Weaned Piglets,” is led by Dongyan Xu Niu at the University of Calgary. The three-year study will explore a novel approach to controlling Streptococcus suis by engineering beneficial Lactobacillus bacteria to deliver bacteriophage-derived enzymes that can specifically target and break down the pathogen. Researchers will identify and optimize these enzymes, integrate them into Lactobacillus strains, and evaluate their ability to protect piglets from infection, potentially improving piglet health while reducing reliance on antimicrobials.

Supported by the Pork Promotion and Research Agency, this project is the latest funded under SIP’s Advancing Swine Research Call for Proposals. SIP will invest up to $150,000, mobilizing up to $419,580 in total project funding.

“Strategic research investments like this help ensure Canadian producers have access to innovative tools and solutions to address priority health challenges in the barn,” said Mark Ferguson, Chair of Swine Innovation Porc.

Projects are selected through a rigorous review process informed by industry input and scientific expertise, ensuring research outcomes are relevant, impactful, and positioned to deliver value back to producers and processors.

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Video: 2026 T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science - Dan Weary

T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science: "Using science to assess and improve the welfare of dairy cattle"

Dan Weary is a Professor at the University of British Columbia. Dan did his BSc and MSc at McGill and Doctorate at Oxford before co-founding UBC’s Animal Welfare Program where he now co-directs this active research group. His research focuses on understanding the perspectives of animals and applying these insights to develop methods of assessing animal welfare and improving the lives of animals. His work has helped drive changes in practices (including the adoption of higher milk rations for calves and pain management for disbudding) and housing methods (including the adoption of social housing for pre-weaned calves). He also studies cow comfort and lameness, social interactions among cows, and interactions between cows, human handlers and technologies like automated millking systems that are increasingly used on farms. His presentation will outline key questions in cattle welfare, highlight recent UBC research addressing them, and showcase innovative methods for improving the lives of cattle and their caretakers.