New approaches to nutritional concepts will be developed and defined aimed at natural metabolic regulation within intestinal microbiome.

Tim Lundeen, Editor

March 22, 2019

3 Min Read
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The University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria, (Vetmeduni Vienna) has opened the new Christian Doppler Laboratory for Innovative Gut Health Concepts in Livestock dedicated to the development of a sound knowledge base and new scientific strategies that will sustainably strengthen and improve the intestinal health of livestock, according to an announcement from Vetmeduni Vienna.

The laboratory is sponsored by Austria's Federal Ministry for Digitization & Business Location and company sponsor Biomin. The new Christian Doppler Laboratory for Innovative Intestinal Health Concepts in Livestock will operate with a planned budget of 4.7 million euros for up to seven years.

“We’re looking to take the knowledge of gut health to the next level and to infuse those findings into further cutting-edge solutions that deliver value to clients by supporting healthy animals,” said Dr. Gerd Schatzmayr, research director of the Biomin Research Center.

The Christian Doppler lab will apply advanced nutrition science, integrative gut models and cutting-edge “-omics” technologies with the aim of advancing knowledge and discovering tools that will lead to sustainable enhancement of systemic and gut health in cattle and pigs, Biomin noted.

"To achieve this fundamental goal, we have designed a multi-stage research approach. It is based on complementary in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo intestinal models and should methodically close knowledge gaps in the field of intestinal health," explained professor Qendrim Zebeli, head of the new lab as well as the Institute of Animal Nutrition & Functional Plant Materials of Vetmeduni Vienna.

In addition, new approaches to nutritional concepts will be developed and defined aimed at natural metabolic regulation within the intestinal microbiome. Novel -omics approaches are used to develop more efficient early detection markers for diagnostics. In the future, these should enable a fast, accurate and economic differentiation between suboptimal and optimal health, Vetmeduni Vienna said.

With the improved knowledge base to be generated through the newly opened lab, a new and understandable intestinal health concept for cattle and pigs is being developed that will allow Zebeli to look at the scientific goals of discovering new intervention approaches, the university added.

These newly defined points will subsequently form the basis for the development of knowledge-based, innovative and prophylactic health strategies, such as natural feed additives and rational feeding strategies, Vetmeduni Vienna explained. For example, food not only serves the needs of essential nutrients but primarily promotes intestinal health and, thus, the fitness of modern, high-yielding cattle and pigs.

“Through global partnerships with research organizations such as the Christian Doppler Research Assn., we are well placed to conduct pure and applied research to enhance food security and make livestock rearing more sustainable,” said Dr. Eva Maria Binder, chief research officer and director of the Erber Group executive board (Biomin is part of Erber Group). Binder serves as a deputy chair of the Christian Doppler Research Assn.’s scientific board.

The opening ceremony for the Christian Doppler Laboratory for Innovative Intestinal Health Concepts in Livestock was held March 21, followed by a symposium on animal gut health. The laboratory includes a main module on the campus of Vetmeduni Vienna and an external module at IFA-Tulln of the University of Natural Resources & Life Sciences.

In Christian Doppler Laboratories, application-oriented basic research is conducted at a high level. Outstanding scientists cooperate with innovative companies. To promote this cooperation, the Christian Doppler Research Assn. is internationally recognized as a best practice example.

Christian Doppler Laboratories are jointly funded by the public sector and the companies involved. The most important public funding agency is Austria's Federal Ministry for Digitization & Business Location.

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