The U.S. Poultry & Egg Assn. (USPOULTRY) and the USPOULTRY Foundation have approved approximately $400,000 for six new research grants at five institutions through the comprehensive research program.

The research funding was approved by the boards of directors of both organizations based on recommendations from the Foundation Research Advisory Committee, which evaluates research proposals to determine their value to the industry and then makes recommendations to the boards for funding.

“Research is an important aspect of USPOULTRY's and the foundation’s service to the poultry industry. The Foundation Research Advisory Committee is the heart of the research program, with committee members volunteering numerous hours reviewing and evaluating research proposals before making recommendations for funding. We sincerely appreciate and value their excellent work,” said USPOULTRY chairman John Prestage of Prestage Farms.

The research grants for each institution include:

* North Carolina State University — "A Novel Method for Enumeration & Speciation of Eimeria Species of Coccidian Protozoa by Flow Cytometry" — research grant made possible in part by an endowing foundation gift from Perdue Farms.

* North Carolina State University — "Longitudinal Assessment of Skeletal & Cardiac Structures in Broilers Reared under Slow Versus Fast Growth Rate Regimen & Its Relation to Manifestation of Lameness, Ascites & Woody Breast Condition" — research grant made possible in part by an endowing foundation gift from Wayne Farms.

* The Ohio State University — "Genetic Identification & Screening for Potent Anti-Salmonella Gut Peptide Variant in Chicken: Avian Defensin, Beta Defensin 1 (AvBD1)" — research grant made possible in part by an endowing foundation gift from Simmons Foods.

* Georgia Institute of Technology — "Fate & Effect of Peracetic Acid Solutions in Poultry Processing Biological Nitrogen Removal & Anaerobic Treatment Processes" — research grant made possible in part by an endowing foundation gift from Sanderson Farms.

* University of Georgia — "Profiling Salmonella Serotypes Through Processing" — research grant made possible in part by an endowing foundation gift from Fieldale Farms.

* University of Connecticut — "Whole Genome Sequencing & Molecular Analysis of Infectious Bronchitis Virus DMV1639 Strains Circulating in the Field" — research grant made possible in part by an endowing foundation gift from Koch Foods.

USPOULTRY said its comprehensive research program dates back to the early 1960s, when funds were first approved for poultry disease research. It gradually grew into an all-inclusive program incorporating all phases of poultry and egg production and processing. Since the inception of the research program, USPOULTRY has reinvested more than $32 million into the industry in the form of research grants. More than 50 universities and federal and state facilities have received grants over the years.

USPOULTRY represents the complete spectrum of today’s poultry industry, and its mission is to progressively serve member companies through research, education, communication and technical assistance. The organization was founded in 1947 and is based in Tucker, Ga.

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