Research project aims to stay ahead of roundworm resistance in cattle

University of Calgary researchers are using genomics and artificial intelligence to search billions of chemical compounds for new ways to control roundworms, also known as nematodes, in cattle.

Supported in part by Alberta Beef Producers (ABP), the project brings together researchers from the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Faculty of Science. The transdisciplinary team is led by biochemist James Wasmuth, parasitologist Constance Finney, medicinal chemist Darren Derksen and veterinary pharmacologist Brielle Rosa.

Roundworms can affect cattle health and productivity by interfering with digestion, with some species feeding on blood and diverting energy away from growth. Because infections are often subclinical, producers may not notice obvious signs even when animal performance is being affected.

“Internal parasites can quietly reduce cattle performance and profitability, while growing resistance to existing treatments makes effective control increasingly challenging,” says Karin Schmid, Beef Production and Extension Lead with ABP. “Our focus in supporting this research is to find solutions that address this emerging issue and lead to more options for producers.”

Researchers have estimated the benefit of anthelmintic treatments, commonly known as dewormers, at approximately $250 per head.

Finding new treatment options is becoming increasingly important as roundworms develop resistance to ivermectin, a dewormer that has been widely used to control parasites in cattle for decades.

The research team is analyzing roundworm genomes to identify genes and biological processes that are critical to the parasites’ survival. Artificial intelligence is then used to screen roughly four billion known chemical compounds, narrowing the field to about 200 promising candidates for further study.

“Genomics allows us to start with the biology of the parasite and identify the processes it depends on to survive,” says Wasmuth. “We can then use artificial intelligence to search billions of compounds for those most likely to disrupt those processes. Ultimately, we hope this will lead to a new treatment that works against resistant roundworms and is practical for cattle producers to use.”

Those compounds will be tested in the lab, with the strongest candidates advancing to trials in mice and eventually cattle. Researchers hope to reach the cattle-trial stage within five years.

Any potential treatment must not only control parasites safely and effectively but also work under practical cattle-production conditions. Wasmuth notes that a product requiring cattle to be treated several times during the grazing season would be unlikely to meet producers’ needs.

Earlier this year, the project received a $1.4-million Alliance grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, with support from ABP. The research team has also received $120,000 from Genome Alberta to expand the work further.

While the immediate focus is cattle, researchers say the work could lead to new parasite-control tools for other livestock species, including sheep and poultry.

Learn more

Finding new parasite control options

Internal parasites affecting beef cattle