Research

Funding: Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur, 45.000 EUR

Project Details:
The aim of the project is to build up and consolidate our project consortium, to prepare the project application and to ensure a joint application in due time in this EU funding program. The composition of a convincing project consortium with the involvement of many different European countries is quite important. We aim to coordinate for the project as well as to cover important research areas. The deliverables also include contributing to a better overall societal and public understanding of the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning through education and training (school and marine science, art and citizen science platforms). Therefore, we would like to specifically work with a professional media partner to create a good outreach concept. The proposed project should enable us to ensure the preparation of the proposal with the project partners, to write the proposal with experienced scientists in the field of biodiversity, ecology and health and to submit it on time with the support of an external professional EU project proposal office

Results:

In the project, the preparation of the application was ensured with the project partners. With experienced scientists from the fields of biodiversity, ecology and health and with the support of an external professional office for EU project the application was submitted on time.

Funding: Landwirtschaftskammer Niedersachsen, 38.933 EUR

Project Details:
Eine Unkrautbekämpfung durch Beweidung mit Schafen ist eine interessante Perspektive für den ökologischen und konventionellen Ackerbau. Doch dürfte der Einsatz herbivorer Profis auf Äckern von den landwirtschaftlichen Betrieben äußerst skeptisch betrachtet werden. Zu groß erscheint das Risiko, die Schafe könnten mehr schaden als nützen und die Kulturen anstelle der Unkräuter fressen. Tierschutzrechtliche Bedenken könnten entstehen bei der Vorstellung, dass zu den Unkräutern auf Äckern potentielle Giftpflanzen wie Stechapfel (Datura) und Greiskraut (Senecio) zählen. Nicht zuletzt wird man den Aufwand der Zäunung und der Betreuung fürchten. Alle diese Befürchtungen stehen einer Umsetzung einer Unkrautbekämpfung mit Schafen entgegen. Das wollten wir nicht ungeprüft akzeptieren. Mit unserer Machbarkeitsstudie sollen drei Variablen getestet werden: (1) Beweidungszeit und (2) Auftriebszeit sowie (3) Besatzdichte soll festgestellt werden, wann Maispflanzen ein attraktives Futter bilden. Außerdem kann durch unterschiedliche Dauer der Beweidung geprüft werden, wieviel Unkraut bereits auf der Fläche wachsen muss, um die Tiere ausreichend zu sättigen und von den Maispflanzen abzulenken. Über die verschiedenen Besatzdichten lässt sich die Selektivität der Tiere begrenzen, um sie zu motivieren, Unkraut statt Mais zu äsen. In jedem Fall soll Heu angeboten werden, damit sich die Tiere nicht unbemerkt zwangsweise von Unkraut ernähren müssen.

Funding: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie, 220.000 EUR

Project Details:
Wildlife repellents are used to keep wildlife, especially ungulates, away from roads and agricultural and forestry crops. The construction of fences is currently the most effective, but also the most complex method. However, these fences cannot and should not be installed comprehensively. For this reason, optical, acoustic or olfactory repellents are commonly
used. While the efficacy of optical and acoustic devices to prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions and wildlife damage has now been refuted, the influence of olfactory repellents has not yet been sufficiently investigated. Since, in addition to the potential efficacy, the enormous amount of work and costs involved in the application also counteracts effective use, a novel wildlife steering system based on combined olfactory repellent depots for semi-automated application by vehicles is to be developed to solve this problem. These repellents can be combined and adapted according to the animal species in focus.
A special carrier paper is impregnated with the respective olfactory repellents and pressed with an aerodynamically optimized carrier for optimal flight characteristics for automated application. In this way, a targeted and cost-effective distribution of combined olfactory repellents should be possible and a virtual scent fence with increased duration of efficacy could be created.

Funding: Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung, 451.471 EUR

Project Details:
Structuring through light - a solution for animal welfare in turkey farming

Cooperation Partners:

Landwirte aus Sachsen-Anhalt und Thüringen

Funding: MWK, 2.903.582 EUR

Project Details:
Development and testing of preventive and therapeutic measures against SARS-CoV-2 using experimental animal models such as ferrets, rabbits, hamsters and primates.

Funding: A128512 MWK Niedersachsen, Volkswagen Stiftung, 1.190.125 EUR

Project Details:
In this study we will collect and analyze more than 108 datapoints (proteomics, genomics, clinical and environmental data) from retrospective and prospective patient cohorts. For the first time, this study
will take into account the recent discovery of the tight association of human norovirus with host cell membranes and proteins and link it to clinical, environmental and ecological niche (microbiota) data.
The translational potential of PRESENt ranges from prognostic and preventive to therapeutic strategies for stratified patient groups. First, we aim to define prognostic biomarkers of severe and chronic gastroenteritis to stratify patient groups. Second, we will investigate how efficient
disinfectants can inactivate patient-derived membrane cloaked norovirus. Third, the microbiome signatures may inform about possibilities of microbiota therapies to alleviate the course of disease in critical patient groups. Finally, the informatics meta-analysis of the retrospective and prospective study will reveal in addition to prognostic biomarkers and microbiome signatures environmental and individual factors, which associate with severe gastroenteritis. In the future, this work will thus pave the way towards better prevention (biomarkers, environmental
factors, individualized disinfectant use) and care (targeting/modifying microbiome or host factors) of severe and chronic viral gastroenteritis.

Results:

https://www.translationsallianz.de/train-platforms/train-projects/present/?L=1

Cooperation Partners:

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Neijdl, Leibnitz University

Prof. Dr. Michael Marschollek, Hannover Medical School

Dr. Benjamin Heidrich, Hannover Medical School

Dr. Till Strowig, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research

Prof. Dr. Lothar Jänsch, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research

Prof. Dr. Thomas F. Schulz, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover

Prof. Dr. Lennart Svensson, Linköping Universität, Schweden

Funding: Deutscher Jugendverband e.V., 10155 Berlin, 19.720 EUR

Project Details:
Suitability of live traps for the development of intelligent trapping systems.

Funding: MWK, 11.851.000 EUR

Project Details:
Carrying out an animal experiment to test monoclonal antibodies in the established hamster model at the RIZ, including applying for animal experiments, carrying out the animal experiment, virus titration and analyzes to determine the viral load in the organs, PCR analysis, histopathological examination (assay scope of 2 organs per animal).

Project Details:
The risk assessment tool for African swine fever (ASF traffic light)developed by the Verbund Transformationsforschung agrar Niedersachsen, University of Vechta, which is so far established in Germany and Switzerland, will be translated into Polish and applied on pig farms in Poland. The scores obtained are compared with those of German farms of the same size. Regional differences in biosecurity on pig farms are identified.

Cooperation Partners:

Barbara Grabkowsky, Verbund Transformationsforschung agrar Niedersachsen, Universität Vechta

Funding: EU: ERASMUS+ Programm, 47.000 EUR

Project Details:
With the project VetRepos a Veterinary item Repository - an itembank for linear and adaptive progress testing will be developed. The project aims are among others:
1) Creating a test item databank containing psychometrically validated test items covering the veterinary subject areas and aligned with the required EAEVE "Day One Competences"
2) Establishment of a quality assurance system for assessment and approval of test items submitted to the databank
3) Establisment of linear and adaptive online progress test system

Results:

SCHAPER E, VAN HAEFTEN T, WANDALL J, IIVANAINEN A, PENELL J, MCLEAN PRESS C, LEKEUX P, HOLM P (2023): Development of a shared item repository for progress testing in veterinary education. Front. Vet. Sci. 10:1296514. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1296514

https://www.vetrepos.eu/

Cooperation Partners:

University of Copenhagen (UCPH)

Utrecht University (UU)

University of Helsinki (UH)

Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)

The European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE)