Early stress experiences and stress resilience in pigs. Animal stress has substantial implications on animal productivity, health and welfare of farm animals and thus farm profitability. This project aims to examine the stress resilience in pigs. Modern pig farming is a major source of food, providing substantial nutritional, social and economic benefits in Australia and worldwide. Animal welfare is of increasing concern to the public, consumers and pork producers, and stress vulnerability is an ....Early stress experiences and stress resilience in pigs. Animal stress has substantial implications on animal productivity, health and welfare of farm animals and thus farm profitability. This project aims to examine the stress resilience in pigs. Modern pig farming is a major source of food, providing substantial nutritional, social and economic benefits in Australia and worldwide. Animal welfare is of increasing concern to the public, consumers and pork producers, and stress vulnerability is an animal health and production problem in the life of the commercial pig. This project will generate new knowledge on early life management to endow stress resilience in pigs, with expected benefits for animal welfare, farm productivity and profitability.Read moreRead less
Sustaining chicken-meat production with alternative protein sources. This project aims to secure sustainable chicken-meat production by the radical reduction or even elimination of imported soybean meal as the primary protein source in Australian broiler diets by its replacement with feed-grade amino acids and local feedstuffs. This project will expand our comprehension of starch/glucose and protein/amino acid digestive dynamics in poultry diets based on wheat, the primary feed grain in Australi ....Sustaining chicken-meat production with alternative protein sources. This project aims to secure sustainable chicken-meat production by the radical reduction or even elimination of imported soybean meal as the primary protein source in Australian broiler diets by its replacement with feed-grade amino acids and local feedstuffs. This project will expand our comprehension of starch/glucose and protein/amino acid digestive dynamics in poultry diets based on wheat, the primary feed grain in Australia; however, wheat does inherently possess nutritional disadvantages. Expected outcomes include soybean meal-free feed formulations for the Australian chicken-meat industry to enhance the affordable and environmentally viable production of chicken-meat coupled with improved bird welfare and flock health. Read moreRead less
Measuring pain in livestock: mechanisms, objective biomarkers and treatments. This project aims to create an objective blood test to measure pain in livestock, and to create a new drug treatment for persistent pain by targeting the immunology of the brain and spinal cord. This project expects to generate new knowledge of the involvement of the neuro-immune system in the creation and maintenance of persistent pain and how this can be quantified through the innovative use of peripheral blood tests ....Measuring pain in livestock: mechanisms, objective biomarkers and treatments. This project aims to create an objective blood test to measure pain in livestock, and to create a new drug treatment for persistent pain by targeting the immunology of the brain and spinal cord. This project expects to generate new knowledge of the involvement of the neuro-immune system in the creation and maintenance of persistent pain and how this can be quantified through the innovative use of peripheral blood tests. Expected outcomes of this project include a blood test capable of quantifying the extent of current pain experience, and a cumulative life measure of pain an animal has experienced. This should provide significant benefits to the Australian livestock industry by improving best practice.Read moreRead less
Relationships between insulin resistance, diet and obesity in ponies and horses. There are an estimated 1.2 million horses in Australia, and the horse industry is estimated to contribute over $6.3 billion to the economy. Laminitis is a significant health and welfare problem in Australia, as it is worldwide, causing pain and lameness, loss of use, and sometimes necessitating euthanasia. Laminitis is one of the most common reasons for horse owners to seek veterinary attention, and diet and obesity ....Relationships between insulin resistance, diet and obesity in ponies and horses. There are an estimated 1.2 million horses in Australia, and the horse industry is estimated to contribute over $6.3 billion to the economy. Laminitis is a significant health and welfare problem in Australia, as it is worldwide, causing pain and lameness, loss of use, and sometimes necessitating euthanasia. Laminitis is one of the most common reasons for horse owners to seek veterinary attention, and diet and obesity increasingly predispose to this condition. Since treatment of laminitis is difficult, prevention is crucial. The outcomes from this project will include the provision of more specific advice on dietary and exercise management to vets and horse owners to reduce the incidence and impact of laminitis on the horse industry.Read moreRead less
How to make antibiotics in pig feed redundant, naturally. Antimicrobial resistance has become a major issue in human and veterinary medicine being partially caused by the use of in-feed antimicrobials in farm animals. This project aims to completely eliminate antimicrobials from piglet feeds. The key differential approach is based on helping the physiology of the animal rather than testing interventions against bacteria. The project will consist of developing a novel nutritional strategy of natu ....How to make antibiotics in pig feed redundant, naturally. Antimicrobial resistance has become a major issue in human and veterinary medicine being partially caused by the use of in-feed antimicrobials in farm animals. This project aims to completely eliminate antimicrobials from piglet feeds. The key differential approach is based on helping the physiology of the animal rather than testing interventions against bacteria. The project will consist of developing a novel nutritional strategy of naturally (through maternal conditioning) boosting the natural appetite and the capacity to digest in piglets early in life. The anticipated outcome is that the new peri-natal program will result in minimal bacterial proliferation and diarrhoea thus, negating the need for in-feed antimicrobials in piglets. Read moreRead less
Novel semio-chemical approach to control the Australian Sheep Blowfly . The Australian Federal Government through the 'Smart Farming' initiative highlights the need for improved multidisciplinary measures in order to remain at the global forefront of the invention and adoption of technology. This multidisciplinary project (entomology, biotechnology, analytical chemistry and genomics) will rapidly inform the management of fly strike on an important Australian resource merino sheep. This will bui ....Novel semio-chemical approach to control the Australian Sheep Blowfly . The Australian Federal Government through the 'Smart Farming' initiative highlights the need for improved multidisciplinary measures in order to remain at the global forefront of the invention and adoption of technology. This multidisciplinary project (entomology, biotechnology, analytical chemistry and genomics) will rapidly inform the management of fly strike on an important Australian resource merino sheep. This will build the key biochemical data in order to develop a novel fly lure technology (at scale) to be used on farm delivering national benefit through improved animal welfare and safety considerations for producers, and will establish the best approach to disseminate this scientific information to stakeholders such as farmers.Read moreRead less
Artificial intelligence algorithms to predict risk of injury in racehorses. This project will address the urgent need for predicting and preventing catastrophic and career limiting limb injuries and cardiac arrhythmias in racehorses due to over (or under) training. Using data from GPS and movement sensors integrated into saddlecloths, artificial intelligence algorithms will convert cumulative data on speed, gait, and stride characteristics during training, along with injury data, into a risk mat ....Artificial intelligence algorithms to predict risk of injury in racehorses. This project will address the urgent need for predicting and preventing catastrophic and career limiting limb injuries and cardiac arrhythmias in racehorses due to over (or under) training. Using data from GPS and movement sensors integrated into saddlecloths, artificial intelligence algorithms will convert cumulative data on speed, gait, and stride characteristics during training, along with injury data, into a risk matrix. Recorded heart rate and ECG data will also be analysed using artificial intelligence to detect early evidence of the development of cardiac arrhythmias. The system will improve racehorse welfare, providing a simple interface to warn trainers when risk of injury becomes high, in order to prevent catastrophic breakdown.Read moreRead less
Antiparastic agents to safeguard Australian livestock. This project will develop new and improved agrochemicals that can be used to treat highly multi-drug resistant parasites that infect Australian livestock, safeguarding animal health and welfare, and improving the economic viability and prosperity of the Australian livestock industry.
Optimisation of a novel hybrid vaccine for liver fluke disease in cattle. Optimisation of a novel hybrid vaccine for liver fluke disease in cattle. This project aims to optimise the formulation of novel fluke vaccine antigens by constructing combination hybrid recombinant antigens and using a protein adjuvant to improve immunogenicity, and test new antigens expressed in young flukes as vaccines and evaluate their ability to synergise with hybrid vaccines. Fasciola (fluke) infections cause seriou ....Optimisation of a novel hybrid vaccine for liver fluke disease in cattle. Optimisation of a novel hybrid vaccine for liver fluke disease in cattle. This project aims to optimise the formulation of novel fluke vaccine antigens by constructing combination hybrid recombinant antigens and using a protein adjuvant to improve immunogenicity, and test new antigens expressed in young flukes as vaccines and evaluate their ability to synergise with hybrid vaccines. Fasciola (fluke) infections cause serious economic losses to livestock production and fluke drug resistance threatens control, so new therapies such as a vaccine are needed. These vaccines should be evaluated in cattle trials. The major outcome plan is validation of hybrid antigens for commercial vaccine development for fluke control in cattle, leading to more sustainable beef and milk production in Australia.Read moreRead less
Molecular basis of attenuation in live Mycoplasma vaccines. This proposal aims to use an innovative approach to address an urgent issue raised by the end users of an Australian-owned poultry vaccine with an extensive global market. Recently multiple mutations have been detected in the vaccine re-isolated from vaccinated birds in the field around the world. We will apply a combination of a novel technique for targeted mutagenesis, genome sequencing, and animal experimentations, to address the sig ....Molecular basis of attenuation in live Mycoplasma vaccines. This proposal aims to use an innovative approach to address an urgent issue raised by the end users of an Australian-owned poultry vaccine with an extensive global market. Recently multiple mutations have been detected in the vaccine re-isolated from vaccinated birds in the field around the world. We will apply a combination of a novel technique for targeted mutagenesis, genome sequencing, and animal experimentations, to address the significance of these mutations. Results will improve our understanding of the basis of attenuation of the vaccine, its mechanism of action, and provide commercial confidence in the safety of the vaccine, which is needed to support Australian Universities and Businesses, and the global poultry industry.Read moreRead less