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ANIMAL SCIENCE
Master Thesis Projects
Topics for Master Thesis Projects available in 2012-2013
Department of Animal Science
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Master Thesis Projects
Topics for master thesis projects available in 2012-2013
Preface
This catalogue of master thesis projects available in 2012-2013 is considered to in-spire and help students in their decisions selecting a topic for their master thesis pro-ject. A number of project proposals are presented in detail, together with contact ad-dresses and other practical information. If you intend to make a master thesis project on a topic not mentioned in this catalogue, please contact and discuss it with one of the course lecturers. The project proposals presented in this catalogue are intended for students of the Master’s Degree Programme in Agrobiology, Biology and students at other animal sci-ence related master degree programmes with the prerequisites needed to accomplish the specific project. During your thesis work you will be associated to a specific research group. Three thesis types are offered: Thesis 30 ECTS credits Theoretical thesis based on literature studies and/or analysis of issued and edited data sets. Thesis 45 ECTS credits Experimental thesis in which the student is responsible for collection and analysis of original raw data. The quality of the data collection, analysis and editing must be in-cluded in the overall assessment. Thesis 60 ECTS credits Experimental thesis in which the student is responsible for planning of trial design and methods as well as collection and analysis of original raw data. The quality and inde-pendence of own trial design, planning of data mining from original data bases or the development of new theories must be included in the overall assessment. The quality of the data collection, analysis and editing must also be included in the overall assess-ment. When you have decided on a master thesis subject, a master thesis contract has to be signed, where the conditions and time schedules are described, please find the con-tract: In Danish http://agrsci.au.dk/uddannelse/for_studerende/blanketter/ In English http://agrsci.au.dk/en/education/for_studerende/blanketter/
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Table of Content Will chicory roots compared with barley feeding be used to change CLA and other fatty acids in the meat of organically raised and finishing-fed dairy steers? ..................4
Production performance and slaughter and carcass quality of heavy Holstein Friesian young bulls ...............................................................................................................................5
New feeding concept for dairy calves .............................................................................................6
Development of optimal feeding regimens for early and normal weaned beef calves ...........................................................................................................................................................7
Estimation of day-to-day variation in feed intake of bull calves and its relation to ration composition, health and performance ...............................................................................8
What concentrate does a cow prefer? ............................................................................................9
Effect on health, welfare and longevity of prolonged lactations in dairy cows ............ 10
Estimation of the effect of reproduction and culling strategy on the methane emission from a dairy cattle herd ................................................................................................. 11
The effect of group size on behaviour of dairy cows in early lactation .......................... 12
Performance and health of organic pigs from birth to slaughter ...................................... 13
Animal welfare in organic pig production systems ................................................................. 14
Effect of xylanases on the in vitro nutrient digestibility in pigs ......................................... 15
Effect of xylanases on the fibre fraction of rye and wheat and the impact on in vivo nutrient digestibility in pigs .................................................................................................... 16
Combined free-range piglet and energy crop production .................................................... 17
Organic free-range pigs integrated in the cropping system ............................................... 18
Do chicken macrophages produce Mannose-Binding Lectin? ............................................. 19
Assessment of local innate immune responses in chickens subjected to experimental infection ....................................................................................................................... 20
Binding studies of chicken Mannose-Binding Lection to different pathogens .............. 21
Optimization of antigen presentation for in vitro studies of T cell mediated immunity in chickens .......................................................................................................................... 22
Validation of an ELISPOT assay for detection of avian interferon gamma .................... 23
Effect of LED-light on broilers’ welfare, growth, and feed efficiency ............................... 24
Phytate degradation in soaked rye ............................................................................................... 25
Effect of particle size and heat-treatment on the phyate degradation in soaked cereals ...................................................................................................................................................... 26
Longevity in a promising, novel genetic model organism of ageing ................................ 27
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Will chicory roots compared with barley feeding be used to change CLA and other fatty acids in the meat of organically raised and finishing-fed dairy steers?
Main subject area Animal Health and Welfare / Animal nutrition and product quality Department and Supervisor Department of Animal Science (homepage: Mogens Vestergaard, head of research unit
http://agrsci.au.dk)
Email: Phone: +45 8715 7843
Project start As soon as possible Physical location of the project and students work Department of Animal Science, AU Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele Theoretical thesis based on analyses of existing data and literature study. Short project description Data from an experiment with 40 Holstein steers during the finishing period after the second grazing season are available. Data include production performance, slaughter and carcass quality characteristics, some meat quality characteristics, eating quality as well as complete fatty acid profiles of the meat. Are you ready to write an interna-tional manuscript? Additional information Datasets are available in Excel and SAS-files.
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Production performance and slaughter and carcass quality of heavy Holstein Friesian young bulls Main subject area Animal Health and Welfare / Animal nutrition and product quality Department and Supervisor Department of Animal Science (homepage: Mogens Vestergaard, head of research unit
http://agrsci.au.dk)
Email: Phone: +45 8715 7843
Project start As soon as possible Physical location of the project and students work Department of Animal Science, AU Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele Theoretical thesis based on analyses of existing data and literature study. Short project description Three groups of bull calves were raised on different feeding regimes varying in con-centrate/roughage ratio and with or without a compensatory growth period. Even though maize silage (up to 90 % of the ration) was used as roughage and animals were housed indoor, this dataset represents interesting aspects also in relation to or-ganic farming and animal welfare. Initial slaughter groups allow for quantitative esti-mation of accretion rates in body and carcass. Experimental data including health re-cordings, performance, carcass and meat quality and rumen wall conditions are avail-able for further analyses. There will be basis for an international manuscript (MSc-project). Additional information Datasets are available in Excel and SAS-files
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New feeding concept for dairy calves Main subject area Animal Health and Welfare / Animal nutrition and health Department and Supervisor Department of Animal Science (homepage: Mogens Vestergaard, head of research unit
http://agrsci.au.dk)
Email: Phone: +45 8715 7843
Project start As soon as possible Physical location of the project and students work Department of Animal Science, AU Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele Theoretical thesis based on analyses of existing data and literature study. Short project description Different intensive feeding experiments have been performed (2006-2010) with milk-fed calves. In some experiments we studied alternative low starch concentrates, in others we studied various grass-based silages/hay and the selection preferences of the calves to type of concentrate and to type of roughage. In some experiments ru-men metabolism was studied. Experimental data on feed intake and growth, and samples from rumen, rumen wall, and blood are available for further analyses. Some laboratory work and statistical analysis can be expected. International publishing will be possible. Additional information 2 x MSc-project will be possible. Datasets are available in Excel and SAS-files.
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Development of optimal feeding regimens for early and nor-mal weaned beef calves Main subject area Animal Health and Welfare / Feeding systems and Animal nutrition Department and Supervisor Department of Animal Science (homepage: Mogens Vestergaard, head of research unit
http://agrsci.au.dk)
Email: Phone: +45 8715 7843
Project start As soon as possible Physical location of the project and students work Department of Animal Science, AU Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele Theoretical thesis based on analyses of existing data and literature study. Short project description How should beef calves weaned early due to low grass quality and low milk yield of the dam be finishing-fed in order to optimize production efficiency and carcass quali-ty? We studied early vs. normal weaning age and three different feeding strategies until slaughter. The feeding strategies include large amounts of grass silage and are of relevance for organic farming. The work will be based on existing Danish data in com-bination with results of the literature. Additional information Datasets are available in Excel and SAS-files.
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Estimation of day-to-day variation in feed intake of bull calves and its relation to ration composition, health and per-formance Main subject area Animal Health and Welfare / Animal nutrition and health Department and Supervisor Department of Animal Science (homepage: Mogens Vestergaard, head of research unit
http://agrsci.au.dk)
Email: Phone: +45 8715 7843
Project start As soon as possible Physical location of the project and students work Department of Animal Science, AU Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele Theoretical thesis based on analyses of existing data and literature study. Short project description The main subject area is beef production based on young bulls, feed intake recording, performance, and animal health. To investigate the influence of ration composition, e.g., total mixed rations vs. pelleted concentrate feeding, on the feed intake patterns. The aim is to estimate the variation in feed intake between days and within days in growing young bulls and relate the findings to disease recordings/veterinary treat-ments, performance of animals and health with a long term perspective of minimizing feeding-related stress on rumen function and animal health. (MSc-project). Additional information Datasets are available in Excel and SAS-files.
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What concentrate does a cow prefer? Main subject area Animal health and Welfare / Ruminant Nutrition Department and Supervisor Department of Animal Science Martin Riis Weisbjerg, senior scientist E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +45 8715 8046 Project start Preferably autumn 2012 Physical location of project and students work Dept. of Animal Science, AU Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele Short project description Background: Use of automatic milking systems (AMS) with free cow traffic is depend-ent on the cows’ voluntary visit in the AMS. Concentrate offer is the usual way to as-sure satisfactory visit frequency, and higher offer can increase AMS visit frequency. However, separate concentrate offer may be problematic for the health of the cows, and should be kept as low as possible. Therefore, detection of palatable concentrate which in smaller quantities can attract the cows is wanted. Aim: Detect feeds which can attract cows to the AMS. Content: Cows’ preferences will be examined in intensive experiments, where cows using a cafeteria principle will be offered different concentrates, and allowed to choose. Additional information The present study is intended to be followed by a test at the KFC (an AMS herd), a study which could also be used for a master thesis.
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Effect on health, welfare and longevity of prolonged lacta-tions in dairy cows Main subject area Animal Health and Welfare Department and Supervisor Department of Animal Science Peter T. Thomsen, senior scientist E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +45 8715 7834 Project start Medio 2013 Physical location of project and students work Department of Animal Science, AU Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele, and commercial dairy herds Short project description As part of a large project, the effect of prolonged lactations (18 months vs. 12 months) on health, welfare and longevity in dairy cows will be evaluated. Cows with prolonged lactations will experience less ‘high risk periods’ in relation to health prob-lems and prolonged lactations are therefore expected to have a positive effect on health, welfare and longevity. Health will be evaluated based on recordings of disease treatments and clinical evaluations of individual cows. In addition, an extensive evaluation of animal welfare in the two groups of cows (normal vs. prolonged lacta-tions) will be made. Longevity will be evaluated based on information recorded on-farm in combination with data from central databases. Additional information Depending on your interests, you will be able to take part in clinical evaluations and collection of data or the subsequent analyses (or both).
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Estimation of the effect of reproduction and culling strategy on the methane emission from a dairy cattle herd Main subject area Animal Health and Welfare / Organic Agriculture / Animal Science Department and Supervisor Department of Animal Science Søren Østergaard, senior scientist E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +45 8715 7961 Project start Any time Physical location of project and students work Department of Animal Science, AU Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele Short project description At global level farming contributes around 18 per cent to total emissions of green-house gases and 22 per cent of this is believed to originate from the production of milk. The corresponding figures for Denmark show that here 16 per cent of green-house gases originate from agriculture and that 40 per cent of this is from cattle farm-ing. Methane is responsible for over half of total emissions from the cattle farms. The-se are results presented by Troels Kristensen, AU in 2012. There is a potential in reducing methane emission trough changing the reproduction and culling strategy in a dairy herd. The main idea is to reduce the amount of feed for non lactating cows and young stock. Strategies to be considered include extended lac-tations, shorter dry period and use of beef semen. Dynamic stochastic herd simulation is accepted as a state of the act method of analyz-ing reproduction strategies in a dairy herd. This project will include modeling methane emission at the animal level, simulation of reproduction and culling strategies at the herd level and analyzing technical and economic herd effects. The SimHerd model will be used. The aim of the project is to develop a herd model for methane emission and estimate the potential in reducing methane emission though alternative reproduction and cull-ing strategies in a dairy herd.
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The effect of group size on behaviour of dairy cows in early lactation Main subject area Animal Health and Welfare / Ethology Department and supervisor Department of Animal Science Margit Bak Jensen, senior scientist E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +45 8715 7941 Project start As soon as possible Extent and type of project 45 ECTS experimental thesis in which the student is responsible for data collection and analysis of original raw data from video recordings. Physical location of project and students work Department of Animal Science, AU, Foulum Short project description During the first period after calving, the high yielding cow is vulnerable. Calving itself may be stressful and is associated with many physiological changes in the transition to a new lactation. In modern dairy systems, cows experience many changes of physi-cal as well as social environments during this period. After calving the cow is often moved to a large group of high yielding cows where she has to compete for access to feed and space. However, housing cows in a small group just after calving may have a positive effect on welfare and production. The aim of the project is to investigate the effect of group size in early lactation on cow behaviour and welfare. The experimental treatment is group size during the first 2 weeks after calving. Cows are either hosed in a group of 6 cows, or in a group of 24 cows. In both treatments the area per cow is the same and there is one cubicle and one feed-bin per cow. These cows are milked as a separate group and not mixed with other cows at any time during the experimental period. Video cameras are fitted over the groups for records of social behaviour.
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Performance and health of organic pigs from birth to slaugh-ter Main subject area Animal Health and Welfare / Epidemiology and Management Department and Supervisor Department of Animal Science Jan Tind Sørensen, head of research unit E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +45 8715 7923 Project start August 2012 Physical location of project and students work Department of Animal Science, AU Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele Short project description Organic pig production differs in many aspects from conventional indoor pig produc-tion. The piglets are born out-door and they are weaned at seven weeks compared to four weeks in conventional pig production. They are given forage and they have ac-cess to an outdoor area until slaughter. Little is known concerning growth of the indi-vidual pig and factors, such as health, affecting liveweight gain in commercial organic pig production. In the research project NO CAST samples of pigs on five organic pig farms are marked with electronic ear-tags and the pig are weighed several times dur-ing life. By marking a sample of piglet from birth it will be possible to monitor growth during their entire life and further to identify and quantify major factors affecting the performance of organic pigs.
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Animal welfare in organic pig production systems Main subject area Animal Health and Welfare / Epidemiology and Management Department and Supervisor Department of Animal Science Tine Rousing, senior scientist E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +45 8715 7915 Project start August 2012 Physical location of project and students work Department of Animal Science, AU Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele and data collection on farms Short project description Studies indicate that animal welfare may vary significantly within comparable produc-tion systems as a result of the management factor. Organic pig production differs in many aspects from conventional in-door pig production. Pregnant sows and lactating sows together with their piglets are housed outdoors – slaughter pigs have access to an outdoor run. Piglets are weaned later and all animals are fed forage and they have access to an outdoor area until slaughter. In an on-going research project a model for an aggregated welfare index is developed and calculated for a range of organic sow herds. The recorded measures are based on animal-based indicators including animal health and behaviour measures. The master student will by repeating the measures and re-calculation of a welfare index for each herd be able to evaluate the robustness of the index over time as well as study possible effects of, for example, differences in housing systems, management practises and/or production results. Additional information The master student can get help from data recording already planned in the autumn in a second research project ProPig where these sow herds will be visited.
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Effect of xylanases on the in vitro nutrient digestibility in pigs Main subject area Animal Health and Welfare / Animal science / swine nutrition / feed quality Department and Supervisor Department of Animal Science Helle Nygaard Lærke, senior scientist E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +45 8715 8061 Project start 2012 Physical location of project and students work Department of Animal Science, AU Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele Short project description Xylanases may improve the nutritional quality of pig feeds by breaking down some of the fibres in the feed. To develop new improved xylanases it is important to have fast and reliable in vitro methods to test their efficiency. Current in vitro methods are not able to mimic the effect of soluble fibres, and the effect of fibre-degrading enzymes on digestibility of the feed. In the current project we aim to develop an improved in vitro method for studying the effect of xylanases on the energy digestibility of cereals. Additional information The masters student will be affiliated to an ongoing research project and should have a strong interest in laboratory work.
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Effect of xylanases on the fibre fraction of rye and wheat and the impact on in vivo nutrient digestibility in pigs Main subject area Animal Health and Welfare / Animal science / swine nutrition / feed quality Department and Supervisor Department of Animal Science Helle Nygaard Lærke, senior scientist E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +45 8715 8061 Project start 2012 Physical location of project and students work Department of Animal Science, AU Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele Short project description Supplementation with xylanases may improve the nutritional quality of pig feeds by breaking down some of the fibres during passage of the gastrointestinal tract. New xylanases are continuingly being developed, and their effect on the fibre matrix in rye and wheat and impact on ileal digestibility of nutrients is investigated in an ongoing research project. The student will be affiliated to the project working particularly on how the enzymes modify the fibre matrix in the gut and how this influences ileal nu-trient digestibility. Additional information The masters student will be involved in animal experimental work and will be working with state-of-the-art carbohydrate analyses and method development.
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Combined free-range piglet and energy crop production Main subject area Animal Health and Welfare / Organic pig production / Free-range piglet production / Sow and litter performance / Animal behavior / Potential nutrient leaching Main supervisor / Co-supervisor Department of Agroecology / Department of Animal Science Anne Grete Kongsted, scientist / Tine Rousing, senior scientist E-mail: [email protected] / [email protected] Phone: +45 87157993 / +45 8715 7915 Project start As soon as possible, August 2012 at the latest Physical location of the project Department of Agroecology and Department of Animal Science, AU Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele Extent and type of project 45 ECTS: Experimental thesis in which the student is responsible for collection and analysis of his/her own original data 60 ECTS: Experimental thesis in which the student is responsible for planning, trial design and collection and analysis of his/her own original data Short project description The organic free-range piglet production of today has some disadvantages in terms of nutrient hotspots and poor possibilities for the sows to perform behavioural tempera-ture regulation. Combining perennial energy crop and piglet production might com-pose a new concept for free-range production with low nitrate leaching and high standards for animal welfare. Results from a previous study indicate that it is possible to combine a production of growing-finishing pigs with a production of energy crops in favour of animal welfare and environment. It is, however, unknown whether energy crops are suitable for farrowing and lactating sows also. We do, e.g., not know how farrowing and lactating sows will use an area of combined energy crops and pasture, e.g. whether the sows will prefer to farrow in the zones with energy crops instead of in the farrowing huts and whether the sows will deposit their faeces and urine in the zones with perennial energy crops which from an environmental point of view would be beneficial. Finally, it is unknown to what degree sows and piglets will destroy well-established energy crops due to their rooting behaviour. Additional information The thesis will be based on a literature review combined with experimental work at one or two private farms. The master student will be linked to the project ‘Combined organic pig and energy crop production’ led by Organic Denmark in cooperation with the Center of Development for outdoor livestock production and the Knowledge centre Agriculture. Useful reading: Read more at: http://videnskab.dk/miljo-naturvidenskab/grise-passer-og-plejer-energipil (in Danish)
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Organic free-range pigs integrated in the cropping system Main subject area Animal Health and Welfare / Organic pig production / Free-range pig production / For-aging behaviour / Pig performance / Resource utilization / Potential nutrient leaching Department and supervisor Department of Agroecology Anne Grete Kongsted, scientist E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +45 8715 7993 Project start Spring or autumn 2012, or spring 2013 Physical location of the project Department of Agroecology, AU Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele Extent and type of project 45 ECTS: Experimental thesis in which the student is responsible for collection and analysis of his/her own original data 60 ECTS: Experimental thesis in which the student is responsible for planning, trial design and collection and analysis of his/her own original data Short project description The most common outdoor system for growing pigs is pigs on pastures with high stocking rates and high inputs of concentrated feed. This system poses significant pol-lution risk in terms of e.g. nitrate leaching. If it is possible to integrate pigs in the cropping system and thereby reduce the need for supplemental feed this would signif-icantly reduce the environmental loss potential. Other advantages: reduction in feed costs, a higher proportion of local produced feed, easier transition to 100 % organic feeding. The pig is omnivore and has a unique foraging capacity for seeking food both on the soil surface and below ground. The wild boar has been shown to consume grasses, fruits, mast crops, roots and invertebrates and even small vertebrates and eggs. Several studies have focused on the use of (allocated) grass and other herbage for growing pigs, however, very little is known about the potential nutritional contribu-tion from foraging in growing pigs. A specific objective is to quantify the nutritional contribution from foraging (above and below the ground) in growing pigs and to eval-uate the effects on pig performance, resource use and potential nutrient leaching. Additional information The thesis will be based on a literature review combined with experimental work at the Research Centre Foulum or on a private farm at Funen. The master student will be linked to the project ‘Superb and Marketable Meat from Efficient and Robust animals’ (SUMMER) or the project ‘Improved contribution of local feed to support 100% organic feed supply to pigs and poultry’ (ICOPP). Useful reading: Den Fouragerende Gris, Klumme i Økologi og Erhverv nr. 482: http://orgprints.org/19916/1/19916.pdf (in Danish)
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Do chicken macrophages produce Mannose-Binding Lectin? Main subject area Animal Health and Welfare / Chicken immunology / Cell cultures Department and Supervisor Department of Animal Science Helle Juul-Madsen, senior scientist E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +45 8715 7837; Mobile 2370 7611 Project start As soon as possible Physical location of project and students work Department of Animal Science, AU Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele Short project description Background: Mannose-Binding Lectin (MBL) is an important innate factor in disease protection and MBL has a high affinity for binding to mannose and other sugar resi-dues present on the cell wall of bacteria, viruses and parasites. MBL is an acute phase protein and mainly secreted by hepatic cells. Results from our lab using chickens se-lected for a high or a low serum concentration of MBL have shown that a low amount of circulating MBL is associated with increased disease severity after infection. These results confirm that MBL, as proven in mammals, plays a major role in disease re-sistance in chickens. In relation to intestinal disease models we would like to know if functional MBL can be released by chicken macrophages so deposition of MBL can be performed directly during intestinal infection. In humans, it has been demonstrated that a macrophage cell line is capable of transcribing the human MBL gene in response to LPS stimulation. Aims: To determine if chicken macrophages are capable of transcribing the MBL in order to release functional MBL in response to stimulation with LPS and/or other sur-face components from bacteria. Research plan: The student will first grow the cell line HD11 and stimulate it with dif-ferent surface components from bacteria or whole bacteria. The cells will be analyzed for the transcription of the MBL gene by qPCR and the supernatant will be analyzed for the presence of the MBL protein by ELISA. If the cell line produces MBL, the study will be expanded to include ex vivo stimulation of white blood cells from chickens. Additional information The master student will be linked to a group of scientists, postdocs, and PhD-students and their experimental work in on-going projects. The student will be trained in cell cultures, stimulation assays, ELISA, and qPCR.
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Assessment of local innate immune responses in chickens subjected to experimental infection Main subject area Animal Health and Welfare / Chicken immunology / local immunological tissues / qPCR Department and Supervisor Department of Animal Science Liselotte Rothmann Norup, post doc E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +45 8715 7889 Project start As soon as possible Physical location of project and student’s work Department of Animal Science, AU Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele Short project description Background: The innate immune response serves as early defence against the inva-sion of pathogens. Some molecules belonging to the innate immune response serve directly as initiators of destruction of the pathogen while others serve as facilitators of phagocytosis by macrophages or dendritic cells. A third group of molecules serve as receptors triggering the onset of an inflammation. At our department we have established a wide range of infection models in chickens. By now the knowledge of the adaptive immunological reactions in chickens towards these infections is widely elaborated, while there is still a need for further investiga-tion of innate immune reactions in the disease models. Aim: To use the quantitative RT-PCR method for determination of the expression of a variety of innately related immunological genes in local tissues after an infection. Methods: Generally the student will use already purified RNA from an earlier infection experiment for the gene expression studies. The studies will be performed by the qPCR method using relevant primers and probes. Additional information The master student will be attached to a group of scientists, post docs, and PhD-students and their experimental work in on-going projects. The student will primarily be trained in RT-qPRC, but other relevant techniques like cell culture, RNA purifica-tion, flow cytometry and ELISA may be included in the project.
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Binding studies of chicken Mannose-Binding Lection to dif-ferent pathogens Main subject area Animal Health and Welfare / Chicken immunology / Binding assays Department and Supervisor Department of Animal Science Helle Juul-Madsen, senior scientist E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +45 8715 7837; Mobile 2370 7611 Project start As soon as possible Physical location of project and students work Department of Animal Sciences, AU Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele Short project description Background: Mannose-Binding Lectin (MBL) is an important innate factor in disease protection and MBL has a high affinity for binding to mannose and other sugar resi-dues present on the cell wall of bacteria, viruses and parasites. MBL is an acute phase protein and mainly secreted by hepatic cells. Results from our lab using chickens se-lected for a high or a low serum concentration of MBL have shown that a low amount of circulating MBL is associated with increased disease severity after infection. These results confirm that MBL, as proven in mammals, plays a major role in disease re-sistance in chickens. In humans it has already been demonstrated that MBL is able to bind to a whole range of different pathogens from bacteria to viruses. However, this has not been demonstrated in chickens although we have shown that chicken MBL is involved in disease resistance. Thus, we would like to know which pathogens chicken MBL are able to bind and use this knowledge in relation to our experimental disease models. Aims: To determine which pathogens chicken MBL is able to bind to. Research plan: The student will first grow different bacterial cultures and test for MBL-binding by use of flow cytometry. Next, the student will receive/grow virus and test for MBL-binding by use of ELISA. This study can be expanded by analysis of comple-ment activation if time allows for it. Additional information The master student will be linked to a group of scientists, postdocs, and PhD-students and their experimental work in on-going projects. The student will be trained in bacte-rial cultures, virus cultures, flow cytometry, and ELISA.
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Optimization of antigen presentation for in vitro studies of T cell mediated immunity in chickens Main subject area Animal Health and Welfare / Chicken immunology / Cell culture/ Flow cytometry Department and Supervisor Department of Animal Science Tina Dalgaard, MSc, PhD E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +45 8715 8052 Project start As soon as possible Physical location of project and students work Department of Animal Science, AU Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele Short project description Background: Quantification and functional analyses of antigen-specific T cells are of-ten carried out by in vitro recall stimulation, i.e. T cells from immune animals are cul-tured in the presence of specific antigens presented on the surface of an antigen pre-senting cell by MHC molecules. Often the method relies on e.g. antigen presenting cells, already present in the blood sample, in which T cell responses are measured. A correct antigen presentation is crucial for the method and enrichment with antigen-pulsed professional antigen presenting cells or use of relevant co-stimulation strate-gies have earlier been shown to improve in vitro T cell responses in human samples. Aim: To develop strategies for optimal antigen presentation usable for in vitro stimu-lation of antigen-specific chicken T cells. Methods: The student will culture antigen presenting cells, pulse them with relevant antigen and use them for in vitro stimulation of chicken white blood cells. Different co-stimulation strategies will be applied as well. Activated T cells will be detected using read-outs like: proliferation, lymphoblastogenesis and cytokine production. Additional information The master student will be attached to a group of scientists, post docs, and PhD-students and their experimental work in on-going projects. The student will primarily be trained in cell culture and flow cytometry but other relevant techniques like RT-qPRC and ELISA may be included in the project.
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Validation of an ELISPOT assay for detection of avian inter-feron gamma Main subject area Animal Health and Welfare / Chicken immunology / Cell culture Department and Supervisor Department of Animal Science Tina Dalgaard, MSc, PhD E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +45 8715 8052 Project start As soon as possible Physical location of project and students work Department of Animal Science, AU Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele Short project description Background: Interferon gamma is an important cytokine in adaptive immunity. Pro-duction of interferon gamma can be assessed by numerous methods but the ELISPOT technique provides both qualitative (type of immune protein) and quantitative (num-ber of responding cells) information in a simple and inexpensive way. When estab-lished the method will be used for monitoring avian immune responses in experi-mental vaccination/infection studies. Aim: To establish and validate an ELISPOT assay for detection of avian interferon gamma as a parameter for T cell mediated immunity. Methods: The student will coat a polymer membrane in micro plates with capture an-tibody and add cells of interest stimulated with specific antigen or mitogen. After cul-ture, produced interferon gamma will be visualized on the membrane with a detection antibody. The assessment of interferon gamma production under different conditions by ELISPOT will be compared with interferon gamma detection by other methods e.g. intracellular staining and flow cytometry. If time allows it, the assay will be applied to samples from an experimental infection. Additional information The master student will be attached to a group of scientists, post docs, and PhD-students and their experimental work in on-going projects. The student will primarily be trained in cell culture and the ELISPOT technique but other relevant techniques like ELISA and flow cytometry can be included in the project.
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Effect of LED-light on broilers’ welfare, growth, and feed ef-ficiency Main subject area Animal Health and Welfare Department and Supervisor Department of Animal Science Anja Brinch Riber, scientist E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +45 8715 7949 Project start September 2012 Physical location of project and students work Data collection will consist of 6 field trips of 2 days duration to Nordborg, where the broiler houses are located (joint transportation). Office space is available at Foulum, but the student can base her-/himself where she/he wishes. Short project description Light is a central environmental factor in broiler production as light influences animal welfare, growth rate, and production economy. Vision is the most important sense in chicks. There are four characteristics in light that are all important for the chicks’ growth and welfare as well as the production economy: light intensity, light period, light source, and wavelength. At present, fluorescent lights are primarily used in broiler houses. These tubes quickly lose strength and after approx. 6 months they only emit 20% of the original light intensity. Typically, they are not changed until after half or entire years and then often only one at a time. This results in 1) a very vari-able spatial distribution of the light intensity and 2) low light intensities that do not comply with the EU legislation of min. 20 lux. We suggest using LED-tubes in broiler houses as they, compared to the existing light sources, result in a more even distribu-tion of the light intensity in the house for much longer periods. The hypothesis is that LED-tubes lead to a better spatial distribution of the chicks. An even spatial distribu-tion of broilers in the houses is necessary to avoid high local stocking densities as this increases the occurrence of contact dermatitis, breast blisters, leg problems, and competition about the resources between the chicks. Methods: Data collection in 2 x 6 flocks of broilers is done with even intervals during mid-September 2012 and May 2013. Collection of data is partly done by video observa-tions and partly by direct observations in the houses of a producer. Registrations are to be made of the spatial distribution of the broilers and their resource utilization. Fur-thermore, scores of contact dermatitis, breast blisters, and gait are to be carried out. Additional information (E.g. perquisites, conditions, useful reading, etc...... ) http://agrsci.au.dk/nyheder/artikel/led-lys-gavner-kyllinger-og-miljoe/
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Phytate degradation in soaked rye Main subject area Animal Health and Welfare / Animal science Department and Supervisor Department of Animal Science Karoline Blaabjerg, post doc E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +45 8715 7994 Project start Any time Physical location of project and students work Department of Animal Science, AU Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele Short project description Background: Phytate, the main storage form of phosphorus (P) in cereals, is indigesti-ble by pigs unless the cereals contain plant phytase. Wheat, barley and rye exhibit high phytase activities. Studies have shown that soaking of wheat and barley increas-es the phytate degradation, whereby the P digestibility is improved. However, the ef-fect of soaking of rye on the phytate degradation has not been investigated. In gen-eral, rye is a neglected feedstuff, but it may be useful in diets for pigs. Aim: To study the phytate degradation in soaked rye. Methods: The phytate degradation in soaked rye is determined by means of incuba-tion studies.
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Effect of particle size and heat-treatment on the phyate deg-radation in soaked cereals Main subject area Animal Health and Welfare / Animal science Department and Supervisor Department of Animal Science Karoline Blaabjerg, post doc E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +45 8715 7994 Project start Any time Physical location of project and students work Department of Animal Science, AU Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele Short project description Background: Phytate, the main storage form of phosphorus (P) in cereals, is indigesti-ble by monogastric animals, and microbial phytases are therefore used as feed addi-tives to increase the P digestibility and reduce P excretion to the environment. The effect of microbial phytase on phytate degradation in cereals depends on the access to phytate which is influenced by the particle size and heat-treatment (steam-pelleting) of the cereals. Aim: To study the effect of particle size and/or heat-treatment on phytate degradation in soaked cereals. Methods: Phytate degradation in soaked cereals is determined by means of incubation studies.
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Longevity in a promising, novel genetic model organism of ageing Main subject area Animal Health and Welfare / Longevity / Honeybee biology and genetics / Characteri-sation of a model organism Main Supervisor / Co-Supervisor Dept. of Molecular Genetics and Biology Christian Bendixen, research Professor / Kathe T. Munk, PhD-student E-mail: [email protected] / [email protected] Phone: +45 2476 5330 / +45 8715 7918 Project start As soon as possible Physical location of project and students work Dept. of Molecular Genetics and Biology, AU Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele Short project description Which genes are essential for longevity and how do they interact to affect phenotype? In this project we utilize the honeybee, Apis mellifera, in the study of genes of impor-tance for lifespan. The honeybee is an upcoming model organism, which is suitable for longevity studies due to significant differences in lifespan. The life expectancy of the queen bees is, for instance, five years, whereas workers only live for a few weeks, except during the winter where they easily live for several months. These bees are genetically identical, demonstrating the effect of the environment on gene regulation and thereby longevity. These circumstances, in addition to the short generation time and the large sample sizes, make the honeybee an ideal organism for genetic aspects of ageing and lifespan studies. This could facilitate a general understanding of the mo-lecular mechanisms in other species as well. Aim: The genetic influence on lifespan in honeybees is studied, using RNA-interference knockdown of previously identified candidate genes, in addition to artificial rearing of larvae in the laboratory. Additional information Technical assistance will be provided in full, and there will be great opportunities for the student to contribute with personal interests and suggestions as studies are de-fined in cooperation between student and supervisor(s).
