“My time at Queen’s was a series of fortunate events. I was very lucky in that at every stage I was advised by experienced people who had my best interests at heart. It was the people I was surrounded by who put me in a position to take on a project as complex as this.
“Bovine tuberculosis is an ongoing, chronic animal health problem across the UK and Ireland with a long history. The disease is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis, a close relative of the bug that cause tuberculosis in humans. I became increasingly invested in the disease itself as I learned more about its scale, impact and complexity.
“The scale of the problem is substantial across Ireland. In 2024, herd incidence reached around 5% in the South of Ireland and over 10% in the North. A single positive test can prevent a farm from trading animals for long periods, and the financial strain on farmers, particularly those with large herds, can be severe.”
Dr Ryan Magee helped analyse more than 1,000 whole-genome sequences of the bacterium, creating the most detailed genetic family tree of the pathogen in Ireland to date. The team identified the smallest number of genetic markers needed to reliably distinguish one variant from another. The result is a simple DNA test that can identify a bovine TB strain within hours using equipment already available at Queen’s.
“Instead of reading all 4.3 million positions of the bacterium genome, our test reads just 28 of the most informative ones. It’s not a replacement for whole-genome sequencing, but it’s a really useful triage tool. It lets labs screen huge numbers of samples quickly and cheaply, which means clusters of infection can be spotted earlier and sequencing can be used where it’s most informative.
“Bovine TB isn’t one big outbreak, it’s lots of small local micro-epidemics. Continuing to apply new science and methods and focusing on the regionalisation of control can make the system more effective and less disruptive for farmers and wildlife. My PhD has added evidence for that, and a new tool to help deliver it.”
Congratulations, Dr Magee! You and your team have made a real impact to one of the UK and Ireland’s most persistent animal health challenges. Amazing work. 👏
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ALT Dr Ryan Magee, graduating today. Pictured in front of the Lanyon building.