Outbreaks of avian flu at U.S. poultry farms led to more than $1.5 billion in losses over the last two years and drove egg prices to all-time highs in 2025.
A new program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is investing $100 million in projects aimed at combating highly pathogenic avian influenza. As part of this national effort, Binghamton University has been awarded $2.5 million to develop a next-generation avian flu vaccine designed to be easier to manufacture, store and transport than current options.
The key ingredient is yeast - something that most of us have in our kitchens and consume daily.
Professor Sha Jin, a faculty member at the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science's Department of Biomedical Engineering, will spearhead the research project. Penn State University - which has the required biohazard containment facilities and testing facilities - will feed the altered yeast to chickens and then expose them to avian flu to evaluate immune protection.
The research team will bioengineer yeast cells to display the same hemagglutinin (HA) protein found on three H5N1 strains of the avian flu. When chickens ingest the yeast, it is expected to stimulate an immune response that prepares chickens to fight off future exposure to the live flu virus.
"We chose yeast because it's edible and therefore safe," Jin said. "In addition, yeast is already widely used in chickens because it can boost the health and immunity of the birds."
In parts of Europe and Asia, chickens are inoculated with the inactivated flu viruses as part of their vaccination strategies. U.S. regulations do not allow that approach, because it is difficult to distinguish vaccinated birds from infected ones.
Using yeast also has other advantages: It is inexpensive to manufacture, shelf-stable at room temperature, does not require specialized equipment for administration and can be updated quickly when new viral strains emerge.
"For mRNA vaccines, refrigeration during transportation, handling and storage is essential to preserve biological activity," Jin said. "Yeast can be handled and stored at room temperature, so it's a lot easier for poultry farms to manage."
The project is funded for three years, with the possibility of a one-year, no-cost extension if early results are promising and the team needs more time.
She emphasized the broader impact of the work: "A feedable yeast vaccine could prevent or halt avian influenza outbreaks, strengthen national food and biosecurity, reduce spillover risks to dairy cattle and humans, and ultimately save lives."
