The ÖkoGen project focuses on characterizing local chicken breeds and their commercial crossbreeding, including the crossbreeding of fattening and laying lines to increase performance. These commercial crossbreeds were established in the "RegioHuhn" joint project and are to be tested for their suitability for sustainable poultry production under organic farming conditions. The studies focus on animal health and welfare (e.g., resistance to endoparasites and viruses, bone stability, behavior), growth and egg production, as well as the product quality of meat and eggs and consumer acceptance. The project also evaluates strategies for needs-based feeding under organic farming conditions and includes breeding planning aspects and the development of appropriate breeding programs.

• Running Time: Begin: 1.10.2022 | End: 30.9.2025

• Funder: BMEL

• Project Site

Osteoporosis is a well-known problem in laying hen farming. Couch (1955) already reported on the so-called "cage fatigue," a decline in cortical bone tissue in laying hens kept in cages. In addition to the significant influence of nutrition and management of the laying hens, Bishop et al. (2000) also identified an influence of breeding. The proposed dissertation is preceded by a master's thesis on the phenotyping of bone traits using palpation, ultrasound, and three-point bending tests. This work will build on this work and, in addition to the subjective trait of sternal palpation, the possibility of mobile radiological examination of purebred hens will be tested. The aim of the study is to identify a suitable phenotypic bone stability trait for use in performance testing in laying hen breeding.

• Project responsibility: Björn Andersson

• Contribution: Lohmann Tierzucht GmbH & The University of Edinburgh - Roslin Institute

Amyloid arthropathy in chickens is a disease, which is caused by bacterial infection with E. faecalis. Protein deposits, mainly consisting of aggregated serum amyloid A (SAA) protein in the joints of affected birds cause lameness and eventually lead to death due to problems in feed intake. The aim of the project is to dissect the molecular mechanisms causing the disease for the development of countermeasures.

• Running Time: Begin: 01/2024 | End: 12/2026

• Funder: DFG

The grayling is the flagship species and namesake of an entire water region in the Weser River basin, the so-called grayling region. Unfortunately, it is now classified as a critically endangered species. In a species conservation project, the Einbeck Fishing Association, together with the Anglers' Association of Lower Saxony, a local fish farmer, and the University of Göttingen, is attempting to create a locally genetically adapted breeding strain for the future stocking of juvenile fish. However, much remains unclear regarding the reproduction, husbandry, and feeding of grayling. The "Aquaculture" working group has been supporting the project for three years and is hatching young grayling in the department's facilities. more agrardatten.blog!

Climate change has significant impacts on fish populations, from behavioral changes to changes in habitat and reproduction. Ocean warming, oxygen depletion, and ocean acidification caused by CO₂ emissions are just some of the challenges affecting fish and the fishing industry worldwide.

Genomics, also known as genetics, is the study of the genome, the entirety of the genetic information of an organism, in this case, the horse. Genomics is playing an increasingly important role in horse breeding, as it helps breeders understand and specifically influence the genetic basis of traits such as coat color, performance predisposition, and body size.

EMO

The LiMBiom-S project aims to establish, for the first time, a standardized work protocol and open-source references for microbiome research on farm animals, using pigs as an example. Together with standardized documentation guidelines, this should make it possible to compare microbiome data and results from a wide variety of laboratories, generate statistics, and thus more quickly reach conclusions regarding their practical relevance and application, e.g., for improved animal welfare, health, and performance of farm animals, as well as for sustainable animal production and agricultural practices. For this purpose, approximately 650 pig microbiome studies will initially be analyzed to identify relevant protocols, from sample collection to bioinformatics analysis, that are currently in use. Based on this, a template for collecting metadata will be created to enable standardized, precise, and comparable recording of animal- and experiment-relevant data and factors (e.g., feeding, housing conditions, etc.) in the future.

• Running Time: Begin: 03/2023 | End: 02/2026

• Funder: Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung

• Link

Hybridization among mammals is an evolutionary mechanism for speciation. In this project, a female goat-sheep hybrid, its parents, and two offspring will be genomically characterized. Using an immune cell model, it will be determined whether autoimmune reactions impede the crossing of the species barrier. The findings will provide insight into the genetic and molecular mechanisms of speciation between mammals.

• Running Time: Begin: 07/2025 | End: 06/2028

• Funder: DFG

• Project Site

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• Running Time: Begin: 03/2025 | End: 02/2028

• Funder: DFG

• Projectsite in progress

The research project aims to utilize duckweed as a natural means of reducing nutrients in water bodies and simultaneously as a protein-rich feed for livestock such as fish and geese. It investigates how duckweed can be optimally cultivated, preserved, and used in closed-loop systems to recycle nutrients and produce high-quality food.

• Running Time: Begin: 05/2022 | End: 06/2025

• Funder: EIP Agri

• Project Site

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• Project site in progress