There is provided an in vitro three dimensional cell construct for use as a model of the avian intestine derived from avian intestinal tissue comprising avian cells organised into intestinal villi and crypts. Suitably the construct comprises an exterior surface that mimics the apical surface of a chicken intestine. Also provided are methods of making the cell construct and use of the construct as an in vitro intestinal model system to examine an agent including, but not limited to a microbe, a vaccine, a pharmaceutical, a feed additive, a toxin, a pre-biotic, post-biotic, pre pro post biotic, therapeutic, a cell, gene construct, protein, immune-modulator, an intestinal effector agent, a candidate intestinal effector agent, cell signalling inhibitor, or cell signalling activator.

Growth performance, health and welfare of domesticated birds such as broilers heavily depends on a well-functioning intestinal tract. Consequently, there is a high need to find biomarkers that are specific for gut damage and that are easily applicable in the field. The present disclosure describes a set of 20 specific proteins that can be quantified in fresh fecal droppings and/or intestinal content of the birds and that each specifically correlate with a damaged gut.

The present invention provides novel antigens of an allergy to egg, methods and kits for diagnosing an allergy to egg, pharmaceutical compositions comprising such an antigen, eggs or processed products of egg in which such an antigen is eliminated or reduced, birds that deliver such eggs or are born from such eggs, a method for producing processed products of egg in which such an antigen is eliminated or reduced, and a tester for determining the presence or absence of an egg antigen in an object of interest. The present invention also relates to polypeptides comprising an epitope of an antigen, kits, compositions and methods for diagnosing an allergy, comprising such a polypeptide, pharmaceutical compositions comprising such a polypeptide, and raw materials or processed products in which an antigen comprising such a polypeptide is eliminated or reduced. The present invention further relates to a tester for determining the presence or absence of an antigen in an object of interest.

The vitelline membrane of an egg is a novel, inexpensive and useful model of the human blood brain barrier (BBB). FD&C Blue #1, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Red #3, quinine and fluorescein do not cross the vitelline membrane and do not cross the human BBB. Ethanol, diethyl ether, 2-chloroprocaine and acetaminophen, cross the vitelline membrane and are known to cross the human BBB. Using the vitelline membrane, as model of the human BBB, may decrease the time and cost of discovering lead drugs for the treatment of central nervous system diseases.

The present invention relates to the use of an embryonated egg model grafted with tumour cells to investigate anti-cancer effectiveness or to screen immunotherapeutic molecules, in the absence of immune effector cells other than those in the grafted egg.

The present invention provides novel antigens of an allergy to a quail egg, methods and kits for diagnosing an allergy to a quail egg, pharmaceutical compositions comprising such an antigen, and quail eggs or processed products of quail egg which are devoid of such an antigen.

The present invention provides a novel antigen for an egg allergy, a method for diagnosing an egg allergy and a kit for diagnosing an egg allergy, a pharmaceutical composition comprising the antigen, an egg, a processed product of an egg, or a bird which lays or has hatched from the egg in which the antigen is eliminated or reduced, a method for producing a processed product of an egg in which the antigen is eliminated or reduced, and a tester for determining the presence or absence of an egg antigen in an object of interest.

The present invention provides a novel antigen for an egg allergy, a method for diagnosing an egg allergy and a kit for diagnosing an egg allergy, a pharmaceutical composition comprising the antigen, an egg, a processed product of an egg, or a bird which lays or has hatched from the egg in which the antigen is eliminated or reduced, a method for producing a processed product of an egg in which the antigen is eliminated or reduced, and a tester for determining the presence or absence of an egg antigen in an object of interest.

Method and a device for the optical in ovo sex determination of fertilized and incubated birds' eggs. The method includes monitoring formation of at least one identifiable blood vessel, creating a hole in the shell of the egg, finding and irradiating the blood vessel with at least one laser beam source emitting an excitation wavelength, recording backscatter radiation of the irradiated blood vessel and evaluating backscatter radiation from recorded spectral intensity of fluorescence radiation in a spectral range redshifted to an excitation wavelength. Sex-specific properties of male and female blood are contained in the intensity and spectral profile of the recorded fluorescence radiation. where intensity levels for male blood has an evaluable value distinct from that of female blood. Further, determining the sex of the bird egg from difference values of the fluorescence intensity and displaying the sex determined for the embryo in the egg.

Method and a device for the optical in ovo sex determination of fertilized and incubated birds' eggs. The method includes monitoring formation of at least one identifiable blood vessel, creating a hole in the shell of the egg, finding and irradiating the blood vessel with at least one laser beam source emitting an excitation wavelength, recording backscatter radiation of the irradiated blood vessel and evaluating backscatter radiation from recorded spectral intensity of fluorescence radiation in a spectral range redshifted to an excitation wavelength. Sex-specific properties of male and female blood are contained in the intensity and spectral profile of the recorded fluorescence radiation. where intensity levels for male blood has an evaluable value distinct from that of female blood. Further, determining the sex of the bird egg from difference values of the fluorescence intensity and displaying the sex determined for the embryo in the egg.