Research

Funding: Karl-Eibl-Stiftung, 14.280 EUR

Project Details:
Ziel der Untersuchungen ist es, spezifische Referenzintervalle für Bullen der Rasse Deutsches Fleckvieh zu generieren. Hierbei sollen Proben aus der V. jugularis externa untersucht werden. Als Probenentnahmezeitpunkt wird die zweite Probengewinnung (vgl. EU VO 2020/686) frühestens 28 Tage (max. 30Tage) nach Einstallung und Beprobung des "letzten"" Tieres der Quarantäneeinheit herangezogen, die routinemäßig bei den Tieren aus seuchenhygienischen Gründen genommen wird. Dieser Zeitpunkt ist auch geeignet, um eine Aussage über die endokrine Reife und damit den Zeitpunkt für den Beginn der Spermaproduktion abzuschätzen. Die Werte sollen auch im Hinblick auf die Spermaquantität und -qualität der ersten Sprünge der Tiere ausgewertet werden, um spezifische Grenzbereiche zu etablieren für Bullen mit höherer versus schlechterer Spermaquantität bzw. -qualität."

Cooperation Partners:

Prof. Heiner Bollwein, University of Zurich | UZH · Clinic of Reproductive Medicine

Funding: Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur (MWK), 119.992 EUR

Project Details:
The proposed future discourse is intended to address the transformation of the energy supply in Germany and Europe and the associated conflicts in nature and species conservation. At the same time, knowledge about the problem should be communicated and suitable communication channels for the conflict should be found. In order to reduce CO2 emissions and delay the climate crisis, the expansion of offshore wind energy is being driven forward as part of the energy transition. Not only Germany, but also Denmark, the Netherlands, the UK and Sweden, among others, have far-reaching expansion plans for the offshore wind industry in the North Sea. These plans could turn this area into a large industrial park. However, the marine ecosystems are already being affected: The construction of offshore wind power plants is not the first or only human intervention. In fact, the North Sea has been polluted for several decades by inputs from the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, eutrophication, fishing, shipping, munitions waste, invasive species and much more. At the same time, it is also the habitat of harbor porpoises, which are the only native cetacean species in German waters. According to the latest European population surveys, the population of these animals is increasingly shifting to the southern North Sea(www.tiho-hannover.de/SCANS). In order to protect the harbor porpoise population that uses the German Bight, we would already need more protection and less pressure on the animals.
On the other hand, we have obligations towards the preservation of biodiversity, nature conservation and species protection (EU Biodiversity Strategy) and therefore, for example, towards the harbor porpoise. Far less is known about the harbor porpoise than about polar bears. The state of the harbor porpoise population in the North Sea is not good, and its habitat is being subjected to further pressures with the construction of offshore wind farms in Germany, but also in the other countries bordering the North Sea. We therefore need to discuss how we can achieve the energy transition and at the same time improve the living conditions of harbor porpoises and other marine life in order to protect them.
The following current social issues should be included in the proposed discourse:

1. transformation: The energy transition is bringing a fundamental change for our society with sudden changes in technological, economic and political developments that have an impact on every single person. This transformation is unavoidable due to the climate crisis, but must of course also be supported by society.
2. communication of knowledge/digitization: The transfer and communication of knowledge about the climate crisis/energy transition and biodiversity/species and nature conservation must be ensured for all social milieus. This is often more effective with digitalized strategies, as this allows more diverse target groups from different geographical locations to participate in discussions and conversations. Knowledge content, questions and discussion impulses should therefore be disseminated and discussed primarily via social networks.
3. strengthening democratic debate and the democratic community: As the climate crisis and the loss of biodiversity affect the well-being of all people, this discourse is a great opportunity to involve many people and groups in a democratic debate. It gives them the opportunity to get involved in an issue that directly affects them and to express their thoughts, concerns and ideas.
4. issues of European identity: The challenges in the area of climate crisis/energy transition and biodiversity/species and nature conservation can only be successfully advanced with a cross-border, European identity and coordination. It is therefore very important to include the plans of other European countries in the discussions and to discuss them with other European citizens (in digital form with the help of translations). This should also be organized for the younger generations in particular. Because, like the porpoise in the North Sea, we are pursuing the same goal: a healthy environment worth living in.

Structured debates involving scientific findings and national and international expertise will shed light on the topic of the climate crisis/energy transition and biodiversity/species and nature conservation from different perspectives.

Funding: Rentenbank, 30.000 EUR

Project Details:
The core question of the project is how and for what reasons the chances of success for sustainably effective advice on animal protection and/or animal welfare on farms with livestock farming can be increased or, conversely, why such advice sometimes fails. Using preliminary studies (project "Agri-cultural advisors as key players for animal welfare and animal protection""), the project aims to iden-tify obstacles in the process and help eliminate them. To this end, explicit advisory situations will be presented together with advisors and advisors in collaboration with specific interested parties and the advisory material from various providers will be examined for its prospects of success."

Results:

dvice is effective if it is not only technically sound, but also methodically adapted to the respective conditions on the farm. Among other things, it is important that it remains communicative and takes into account the structural conditions under which the farmer can accept and implement advice. Voluntary participation is a key prerequisite for effective advice, as it is directly linked to the farm manager's inner motivation to accept new ideas and integrate recommendations into everyday farm life in the long term. At the same time, voluntary participation remains a critical point in practice. Feedback from the advisory practice shows that farms with a particularly high need for advice often make less use of advice. This is an important point that needs to be researched and worked on in the future. It also shows that the selection of advisory staff plays a decisive role: Communication skills, methodological flexibility and a willingness to reflect are just as relevant as professional expertise. In this project, it was not only possible to work out relevant content-related findings, but also to incorporate these into the existing training and further training materials for advisors in a targeted manner in order to improve their quality. Both methodological and content-related foundations were created on which to build. Just like its clients, the farmers, the advisory service must constantly adapt to new, changing circumstances and overcome challenges. For example, through the qualitative further development of advisory processes, in the training of advisors or in what is probably the most complex task, the targeted approach to farms that were previously difficult to reach.

Funding: Fresco Dog Foods GmbH, 39.599 EUR

Project Details:
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Funding: Drittmittelprojekt, gefördert durch Fritz-Ahrberg-Stiftung., 15.000 EUR

Project Details:
The precise investigation of the muscle-to-meat transition after the slaughter of farm animals is important, because it (could) lead to a better understanding of the processes during these post-mortem changes. This allows the definition and analysis of influencing factors that may have a positive or negative effect on the meat quality. However, since an in vivo analysis of meat formation is difficult to standardize, in vitro models have been developed that are easier to standardize with regard to metabolites/ compositions (e.g. certain organelles such as mitochondria). Since the models have so far been scientifically investigated in pigs and chickens, the study will first establish an already published in-vitro model with pig muscles and then transfer it to bovine and possibly turkey muscles. These models will then be used to analyze the physiological muscle-to-meat transition after slaughter in more detail, also taking into account certain exogenous and endogenous factors, especially the mitochondria. The influence of mitochondria will be examined in more detail, as they have an (important) influence on meat formation. In addition, the models will be used to analyze (pathological) problems in meat formation (e.g. PSE, DFD).

Project Details:
The aim of this study is the validation of the automated analysis of cell count in bovine synovia using the ADVIA 2120i. Corresponding reference ranges for clinically normal joint aspirates should be developed to differentiate these from pathological samples. In addition, further examinations such as the determination of protein content and a microbiological examination of the samples are carried to analyse whether particular parameters can provide information on clinical appearance, diagnostics or therapy. Both macroscopically abnormal and normal joint aspirates are used for examination.

Project Details:
The aim of this study is to analyse the effect of four distict cytokines, which are important in early bovine pregnancy, on the gene expression in cultured primary bovine hepatocytes. PCR is used to detect how the hepatocellular IGFBP-expression changes when the cells are stimulated with different cytokines in different concentrations. This demonstrates the connection between immunological and endocrine changes in early pregnant cows. We particularly focus on IFNτ, the embryonic pregnancy recognition signal of ruminants.

Project Details:
The project focuses on the isolation of phages from the feces of bearded dragons. After isolation, phages are examined and classified according to their efficacy and characteristics. Subsequently the influence of phage application on the microbiom and shedding of Salmonella is examined. These examinations are of relevance because of the zoonotic potential of Salmonella shedding in reptiles.

Cooperation Partners:

Robert-Koch-Institut Wernigerode

Project Details:
A blood test provides information on the physiological or pathological status of an animal. In veterinary medicine, another focus is on monitoring the nutritional status of a patient. The patient's results, obtained through sampling and appropriate analysis procedures, are categorised with previously established RI of a healthy reference population. The laboratory results provide important information for the diagnosis and prognosis of a sick animal. In addition to correct analysis, the reliability of laboratory results requires quality-assured pre-analysis and appropriate and evidence-based RI. Even accurate measurement results can lead to incorrect diagnosis and therapy if the sample has been altered at the time of analysis to such an extent that it no longer corresponds to the basic population of the previously used reference population. Many factors influence the quality of samples in the pre-analytical phase and the basis for assessment in the post-analytical phase. The aim of this project is therefore, for the first time, to focus significantly more on pre-analytical factors in the production of RI. In order to avoid diagnostic errors, pre-analytical workflows should be standardised as far as possible. According to a thorough literature search, the RIs of the following parameters in particular differ significantly from each other and will therefore be reproduced in this paper using a reference population. In particular, this will be done with very clearly defined pre-analytical conditions. From clinical chemistry, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), creatine kinase (CK), total protein (TTP), albumin, total bilirubin, urea, beta-hydroxybutyrate (ß-HBS), free fatty acids (FFA), cholesterol and various minerals are considered.
The aim is to further develop and establish recommendations that can be implemented in daily practice and laboratory work in veterinary medicine, are based on current and quality-assured RI for dairy cows from Germany and lead to meaningful laboratory results.

Funding: BioConsult GmbH & Co.KG, Bremen, 51.150 EUR

Project Details:
In order to be able to accompany the evaluation process of the spatial development plan (ROP) from the perspective of marine nature conservation, a nature conservation-based, ecosystem-based planning contribution is to be developed as part of the project, which can be integrated into the marine spatial development plan (MSP) update process in a targeted manner.
In order to enable a synthesis of the information relevant for the planning contribution, the current state of knowledge from completed and ongoing research projects will be researched. Together with additional sensitivity analyses, content for the integration of ecosystem-relevant aspects into the planning contribution will be developed. In addition, various scenarios for the expansion of offshore wind power will be developed and evaluated in order to establish the necessary conditions for an environmentally compatible expansion of renewable energies in the North and Baltic Seas. The project is thus intended to provide an overall spatial planning concept for marine protection that can be incorporated by the BfN into the process of evaluating and updating the MSP.
BioConsult GmbH & Co KG is carrying out the BfN research project as contractor.
The following work on marine mammals is being carried out as a contribution by the TiHo:
- Compilation and preparation of the available distribution data in the form of maps, diagrams and tables with textual explanations
- Identification and presentation of important habitats for indicator species (e.g. harbor porpoise, harbor seal, grey seal)
- Effects of three scenarios of OWP expansion