Texas A&M Study Highlights Pictor PictVet® as Promising Non-Invasive Tool for Beef Cattle Health Monitoring

Independent peer-reviewed research published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science reports strong assay performance in a proof-of-concept evaluation using bovine nasopharyngeal swab samples

Pictor Holdings Inc., a global targeted proteomic platform company, today highlighted the publication of an independent peer-reviewed study conducted by researchers at Texas A&M University and published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science evaluating the Pictor PictVet^® assay for monitoring anti-Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) IgG antibodies in bovine nasopharyngeal swabs. The study, titled “Detection of anti-Mycoplasma bovis IgG in bovine nasopharyngeal swabs,” was published June 11, 2026, in Frontiers in Veterinary Science (doi: 10.3389/fvets.2026.1856081).

M. bovis is a significant bacterial pathogen responsible for Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD), one of the most economically damaging health challenges in the global cattle industry, with estimated costs exceeding $1 billion annually in the United States, according to the USDA. While molecular techniques such as PCR can detect the presence of M. bovis DNA, they do not provide information about the animal’s concurrent immune response. This study investigated whether the Pictor PictVet^® targeted assay could be used to monitor multiple anti-M. bovis antibody biomarkers from nasopharyngeal swab samples, offering a less invasive alternative to blood-based approaches.

Notably, the study was conducted in crossbreed feedlot beef cattle, expanding the body of published Pictor PictVet® M. bovis research from dairy cattle into beef production settings. The Texas A&M research team, led by Dr. Robert Valeris-Chacin, evaluated archived nasopharyngeal swab samples from 100 crossbreed feedlot steers (50 positive and 50 negative for M. bovis DNA via digital qPCR). Using a Latent Class Analysis (LCA) model developed by the investigators to establish study cutoffs and assessing K-0310 and K-0320 antigens in parallel, the Pictor^® platform demonstrated 97.59% accuracy, 100% sensitivity, and 95.18% specificity using the multiplex panel. The panel also demonstrated excellent inter-operator reproducibility with kappa coefficients ranging from 0.894 to 1.0 and reliably identified positive samples at a 1:2 dilution.

“I was particularly impressed by the robustness of the data—results were highly reproducible and easy to interpret, even with complex sample types like archived bovine nasopharyngeal swabs. Pictor has clearly developed a well-engineered and scientifically sound tool for antibody detection.” 
— Dr. Robert Valeris-Chacin, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University

“Independent research from leading academic institutions plays an important role in advancing our understanding of how targeted proteomic approaches may contribute to livestock health monitoring. This study demonstrates the feasibility of measuring M. bovis -associated antibody responses from nasopharyngeal swab samples and adds to the growing body of research evaluating targeted proteomic approaches across animal health applications.”
— Jamie Platt, PhD, CEO and Co-founder, Pictor Holdings Inc.

This publication represents the fourth independent peer-reviewed publication on the applications of the Pictor platform in livestock health monitoring during 2025–2026, following earlier published research on the platform’s application to Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) in dairy cattle. This work builds on the foundational assay development research led by Pictor Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Yoichi Furuya, whose prior publications established the scientific basis for the Pictor PictVet^® M. bovis IgG assay. Together, the publications contribute to a growing body of research supporting targeted proteomic approaches for livestock health monitoring.

Key findings from the Texas A&M study include:

Performance characteristics: 97.6% overall accuracy using LCA-based cutoffs, with 100% sensitivity and 95.2% specificity when K-0310 and K-0320 antigens were evaluated in parallel.

Non-invasive sampling: The assay was tested using nasopharyngeal swab washes, providing a practical and minimally invasive alternative to blood-based sampling for monitoring mucosal immune responses in cattle herds.

Reproducibility: Excellent inter-operator agreement across independent runs, with kappa coefficients of 0.894 to 1, supporting consistent results across different laboratory personnel.

Analytical sensitivity: Reliable detection of positive samples at a 1:2 dilution factor, meeting the 95% target probability threshold for both cutoff schemes evaluated.

The study was conducted by researchers at the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology and Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, with funding support from Pictor. Pictor continues to support research evaluating PictVet® applications in additional cattle populations. The full study is available open access at: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2026.1856081