Tech Transfer: Turkey Vaccine

Guests: Marcus Jensen, Retired Professor of Microbiology; Mike Alder, Director of BYU’s Technology Transfer office  There’s plenty of turkey for Thanksgiving– even though a devastating outbreak of avian flu caused more than 7 million of them to be euthanized over the summer and sparked fears we’d have a holiday shortage. Disease is a perpetual challenge for turkey growers who raise tens of thousands of birds in close proximity. Several decades ago, some BYU scientists landed on a deceptively simple way to vaccinate turkeys against a version of whooping cough that can quickly wipe out entire flocks. If you look forward to a tender slice of turkey on your plate during the holidays, you owe some thanks to retired BYU microbiology professor Marcus Jensen and his colleagues.