Research

General Goals

• Define the genetic basis for animal growth, disease resistance, embryonic development, stem cell specification and nutrient efficiency
• Elucidate the cellular mechanisms underlying nutrient uptake, cellular differentiation, host-pathogen response, and lipid secretion
• Integrate quantitative, statistical, and computational parameters at the molecular, cellular, genome, and metagenome levels

Focus

The primary thrust of the Genetics and Cell Biology Group is to illuminate the molecular and cellular basis of complex biological systems using a multi-organismal and multi-faceted approach. The group comprises faculty that span across multiple disciplines with research focuses in basic and translational research and with implications for animal health and diseases and the environment. Key problems being addressed by this group include the following:

• Apical junctional complex in gastrointestinal homeostasis and disease (Dr. Younggeon Jin)
• Beef quality and epigenetics (Dr. Jiuzhou (John) Song
• Cell biology and genetics of nutrient homeostasis (Drs. Iqbal Hamza, Chad Stahl, Byung-Eun Kim)
• Developmental biology, embryonic patterning, and cell migration (Dr. Lisa Taneyhill)
• Epigenetics in host-pathogen interactions in immune cells (Dr. Jiuzhou (John) Song)
• Genetics and endocrine regulation of growth and metabolism (Drs.  Li Ma, Tom Porter, Jiuzhou (John) Song, Chad Stahl )
• Molecular basis for the maintenance of pluripotency and cell lineage determination (Drs. Carol Keefer, Jiuzhou (John) Song, Chad Stahl)
• Molecular dynamics of lipid secretion (Dr. Ian Mather)
• Nutrient-gene interactions that influence nutrient partitioning (Drs. Iqbal Hamza, Chad Stahl, Byung-Eun Kim, Nishanth E. Sunny)
• Omics approaches to enhance aquaculture production (Dr. Moh Salem)
• Quantitative genetics and selective breeding theory (Drs.  Li Ma, Jiuzhou (John) Song)
• Regulation of cellular differentiation in the anterior pituitary gland (Dr. Tom Porter)
• Regulation of cellular differentiation in the peripheral nervous system (Dr. Lisa Taneyhill)
• Regulation of developmental potency and cell fate decisions during mammary gland development (Dr. Andrew Schiffmacher)
• Statistical genomics, bioinformatics and gene regulatory networks (Drs. Li Ma, Jiuzhou (John) Song)

Research Impact

• Animal and human health and development
• Chesapeake Bay Preservation
• Zoonotic diseases and Prevention

General Goal

• Delineate the molecular and metabolic processes that govern the partition of dietary nutrients towards tissue, milk and egg synthesis
• Develop and implement feeding guidelines and management practices that reduce animal waste pollution in the environment and improve animal productivity
• Establish the basic mechanisms that limit feed digestion and utilization by dairy and beef cattle, poultry, horses, fish and exotic animals
• Identify nutritional strategies that improve meat and milk quality, and animal health
• Study animal digestion as a model to understand biomass conversion to biofuels or bioproducts

Focus

The Nutrient Utilization and Metabolism faculty possess expertise in both basic and applied research approaches to systemically address important nutritional issues facing animal agriculture at the local, state and national levels. Key issues being addressed by this group include the following:

• Develop mathematical models of whole-animal nutrient utilization for research investigation and to improve predictions of animal performance (Dr. Richard Kohn)
• Establish best feeding practices for insectivorous birds (Dr. Roselina Angel).
• Forage grazing strategies that improve equine health and reduce environmental impact (Dr. Amy Burk)
• Genetics of nutrient uptake partitioning (Drs. Iqbal Hamza, Chad Stahl, Byung-Eun Kim)
• Genomics approaches to improve quality and efficiency of producing fish muscle (Dr. Mohamed Salem).
• Improve survival and growth of chicken embryos and post-hatch chicks (Dr. Lisa Taneyhill)
• Investigate control of ruminal metabolism through kinetic and thermodynamic mechanisms. (Dr. Richard Kohn)
• Liver metabolism and mitochondrial function (Dr. Nishanth E. Sunny)
• Nutrient metabolism and health in ruminants and other livestock (Dr. Eduardo Rico)
• Optimization of dietary energy, nitrogen and phosphorus use to decrease impacts on the environment (Dr. Chad Stahl)
• Reduce methane emissions by ruminants (Dr. Richard Kohn)
• Reducing obesity to improve equine health (Dr. Amy Burk)
• Regulation of embryonic and neonatal metabolism (Drs. Carol Keefer, Tom Porter, Chad Stahl)

Research Impacts

• Aquaculture
• Chesapeake Bay preservation
• Companion and zoological animal nutrition and health
• Efficiency of use of feed resources
• Environmental footprint of animal agriculture
• Horse owners and farm operators
• Human nutrition and health
• Producers and consumers of dairy and poultry products

General Goals

• Define host epigenetic modifications during infections
• Develop and improve vaccines against animal infectious diseases using integrated strategies
• Elucidate molecular mechanisms for the activation of cellular immune responses during viral and bacterial infections
• Identify new pathways involved in host response against pathogens using integrated quantitative, statistical and computational approaches

Focus

The major task for this pathogen-host interacting group is to decipher how hosts launch efficient immunity against infections, thus information obtained will be useful for the development of vaccine and control of infectious diseases. This group includes faculty with expertise covering multiple disciplines in both basic and translational research. Key projects including the following:

• Bovine mucosal immune response to pathogens (Dr. Zhengguo Xiao)
• Bovine T cell activation and differentiation (Dr. Zhengguo Xiao)
• Computational epigenetics and statistical genomics in animal health (Drs.  Li Ma, Jiuzhou (John) Song)
• Construction of novel vaccines for animals against the colonization of foodborne bacterial pathogens (Dr. Debabrata Biswas)
• Control of foodborne bacterial colonization in animals using natural products and mechanism of antimicrobial activity of the components (Dr. Debabrata Biswas)
• Determination of the mechanisms of IBDV replication and reassortment (Dr. Andrew Broadbent)
• Determination of the mechanism of viral immunosuppression in animals and its role in the spread of zoonotic infectious diseases (Dr. Andrew Broadbent)
• Development of improved vaccines and vaccine regimens against infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) in chickens (Dr. Andrew Broadbent)
• Development of monoclonal antibodies for quick detection and identification of foodborne pathogens (Dr. Debabrata Biswas)
• Dynamic mechanism and modeling of host-virus interaction (Dr. Jiuzhou (John) Song)
• Epigenetic study of chicken response in Marek’s disease virus infection (Dr. Jiuzhou (John) Song)
• Epigenetics of CD4+ T cell and CD8+ T cell in response to virus infection (Dr. Jiuzhou (John) Song)
• Exosomes and CD8 T cell activation (Dr. Zhengguo Xiao)
• Host-parasite interactions and nutrient metabolism (Dr. Iqbal Hamza)
• Interaction of metabolic pathways with those of inflammatory cytokines in CD8 T cell activation (Dr. Zhengguo Xiao)
• Interaction of metabolic pathways with those of inflammatory cytokines in CD8 T cell activation (Dr. Zhengguo Xiao)
• Pathobiology of fatty liver disease in rodent models and chicken (Dr. Nishanth E. Sunny)
• Prevention of cross contamination in food and products in processing and preservation (Dr. Debabrata Biswas)
• Regulation of inflammatory cytokines on memory CD8 T cell generation (Dr. Zhengguo Xiao)

Research Impact

• Animal and human health
• Animal welfare
• Metabolic diseases (Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes mellitus)
• Zoonotic diseases and prevention

General Goals

• Delineate the molecular and cellular basis of embryonic patterning and cellular differentiation during animal development
• Refine methods to improve live-stock production through an understanding of gamete development and preservation

Focus

The Reproduction and Development faculty possess a wide range of scientific expertise that, in many instances, spans multiple core research areas. Through both basic and applied research, our faculty continues to make important contributions to the fields of animal agriculture and the biomedical sciences. Key questions being addressed by this group include the following:

• Brain-pituitary-gonadal axis regulation of reproduction (Drs. Tom Porter, Chad Stahl)
• Development of organoid model systems from livestock species (Dr. Andrew Schiffmacher)
• Genetic basis and improvement of animal reproduction (Dr. Li Ma)
• Molecular determinants of embryonic mammogenesis (Dr. Andrew Schiffmacher)
• Molecular mechanisms regulating neural crest and placode cell induction, migration and differentiation (Dr. Lisa Taneyhill)
• Molecular, cellular and genetic regulation of animal growth and reproduction by the neuroendocrine system (Dr. Tom Porter)
• Regulation of stem cell proliferation and differentiation in livestock species (Drs. Carol Keefer, Andrew Schiffmacher, Jiuzhou (John) Song)

Research Impacts

• Cattle, sheep, bird, and fish producers
• Human health and development

General Goals

• Delineate species and breed-specific health and well-being challenges
• Identify key behavioral indicators of well-being
• Interface stakeholder perceptions of agricultural animals
• Quantify human-animal interactions

Focus

The Animal Behavior & Well-Being faculty use basic and applied research to identify the impacts of environmental stressors on the behavior and well-being of agricultural animals. Key issues being addressed by this group include the following:

• Effects of grazing muzzles on behavior and physiological stress in horses (Dr. Amy Burk)
• Mitigation of heat stress in domestic animals (Dr. Tom Porter)

Research Impacts

• Animal agriculture
• Animal well-being
• Public education