New foot-and-mouth disease vaccine could save global livestock billions each year
Jan 14, 2026
A next-generation vaccine against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), developed through research supported by Diamond Light Source, could deliver more than $1.3 billion in annual global benefits and significantly strengthen livestock resilience worldwide, according to a new independent impact report.
The analysis, produced by the economic research institute CSIL, highlights the critical role Diamond played in advancing the science behind a novel virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine. The findings demonstrate how investment in large-scale research infrastructure can translate into substantial economic, food security and animal health benefits.
A decisive contribution to vaccine development
Authored by CSIL lead researcher Jessica Catalano, the report identifies Diamond Light Source as a decisive factor in accelerating vaccine development. CSIL highlights Diamond’s combination of advanced X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy, the ability to collect in-situ data directly from sealed crystallisation plates, and the expertise of a highly skilled scientific and technical workforce.
The report also emphasises Diamond’s proactive and collaborative approach to working alongside academic and industrial partners, which helped move the research from fundamental structural biology towards real-world application.
Significant global economic impact
CSIL’s economic modelling indicates that introducing a VLP-based foot-and-mouth disease vaccine with 20% market penetration across countries where the disease is endemic could generate net benefits of around $1.3 billion per year, with a benefit–cost ratio of 1.59. Over a ten-year period, this equates to approximately $11 billion in avoided economic losses.
These figures are considered conservative, as foot-and-mouth disease is widely under-reported globally. The true economic burden of the disease - and therefore the potential value of a more effective vaccine - is likely to be considerably higher.
This impact report highlights how investment in fundamental structural biology translated into real-world outcomes. Our work on the foot-and-mouth disease vaccine demonstrates how understanding viral structure at the molecular level can directly inform vaccine design and strengthen global preparedness against infectious disease.
Professor Sir David Stuart, lead researcher and Professor of Structural Biology at the University of Oxford
A safer, more resilient vaccine platform
The vaccine evaluated in the report was developed by a collaboration involving Diamond Light Source, The Pirbright Institute, MSD Animal Health, the University of Oxford and the University of Reading.
Unlike traditional inactivated vaccines, virus-like particle vaccines contain no genetic material and can be manufactured without handling live virus. This makes them safer, simpler and more scalable to produce, while avoiding the need for high-biosafety containment facilities.
VLP vaccines also offer greater heat stability, making them better suited to regions with unreliable cold-chain infrastructure. Their simpler storage and transport requirements reduce logistical barriers, and their ability to be adapted more rapidly to emerging viral variants supports faster outbreak response.
The vaccine is currently undergoing regulatory approvals with MSD Animal Health, with production expected in the coming years.
Addressing a global livestock threat
Foot-and-mouth disease is one of the world’s most infectious animal viruses, affecting 77% of the global livestock population, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). While rarely fatal in adult animals, outbreaks can sharply reduce milk and meat production, limit animals’ ability to work, and trigger severe restrictions on international trade.
Professor Gianluigi Botton, Chief Executive of Diamond Light Source, said: “This research has delivered an outstanding scientific breakthrough. It highlights the vital role Diamond plays in enabling solutions to issues that affect countries worldwide. With this vaccine now moving closer to production, we have a real opportunity to make a substantial impact on global animal health and support more resilient livestock systems.”
Related publication
Catalano, J., Florio, M., Articolo, R., & Eggleton, D. (2026). Diamond contribution to the development of an innovative vaccine for Foot-and-Mouth Disease: a veterinary pathology of global significance. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18220308
Diamond Light Source is the UK's national synchrotron science facility, located at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire.
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