North Dakota State University researchers are working to identify a tool that producers can use to identify sheep or goats that are genetically more resilient to disease.

Rachel Gibbs, NDSU Extension ruminant systems management specialist at NDSU’s Hettinger Research Extension Center, is exploring the potential of immune scoring to quantify individual immunocompetence and assess the heritability of disease resiliency in sheep and goats using Promogen.

Promogen is an immune scoring test developed by Anova Biosciences. This immune system evaluator is designed to forecast an animal’s immune system capacity to fight off disease or illness by scoring animals based on the presence of defensins, or immune biomarkers found in saliva and other mucosal fluids.

Although Promogen was initially developed and commercialized to assess immune status in beef and dairy cattle, scientists at Anova believe it has the potential to predict immunocompetence in other species as well. With this in mind, Anova plans to collaborate with NDSU’s Hettinger Research and Extension Center to evaluate and optimize Promogen immune scoring in sheep and goats.

With producer support, Gibbs will integrate Promogen into the Dakota Sire Testing Programs, which are ram and buck tests focused on advancing genetic progress through technology-assisted, performance-based selection. To do this, saliva samples will be collected from animals consigned to performance tests and sent to Anova Biosciences for analysis and optimization of Promogen for sheep and goats. Participating producers will receive individual immune scores for each animal they consign.  

“I am really excited about the potential impact that Promogen could have on enhancing our understanding of disease resiliency and the subsequent impact on sheep and goat production,” says Gibbs.

Gibbs’ academic career has been focused on identifying biomarkers for stress resistance in ruminant livestock and developing strategies to minimize the impact of stress on production systems. She believes that by optimizing immunocompetence testing, producers will have the opportunity to begin incorporating immunity into genetic selection decisions to advance flock and herd health and improve overall productivity.

Bill Julien, CEO of Anova and the developer of Promogen technology, welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with Gibbs.

“We believe Dr. Gibbs’ work is cutting-edge science and sorely needed to address the needs of modern ruminant agriculture management,” says Julien.

There are about 64,000 head of sheep and 9,000 head of goats in North Dakota. Both sheep and goat industries are active in the state and lead national research efforts.

Testing will begin in December 2025 and involves rams from four breeds that have been consigned to the 2025-2026 Dakota Ram Test.

In 2026, this collaboration will be expanded to study the impact sire immunocompetence has on feeder lamb health and performance. This collaboration was made possible through the Columbia Sheep Breeders Association and Dakota Sire Testing Program consignors.

Gibbs urges anyone interested to submit their livestock to the Dakota Sire Testing Program.

For additional information about the research or how to get involved, contact Gibbs at 701-567-4323 or Julien at 402-677-2083.

NDSU Agriculture Communication – Dec. 19, 2025

Source: Rachel Gibbs, 701-567-4323, rachel.gibbs.1@ndsu.edu

Editor: Dominic Erickson, 701-231-5546, dominic.erickson@ndsu.edu