Overview of research projects

Funding: Stiftung Naturschutz Schleswig-Holstein (StN); Ministerium für Energiewende, Landwirtschaft, Umwelt, Natur und Digitalisierung des Landes Schleswig-Holstein (MELUND); Behörde für Umwelt und Energie der Freien und Hansestadt Hamburg (BUE), 109.436 EUR

Project Details:
Das Ziel des Projektes besteht darin, unter artgemäßen Bedingungen auf einer Weide festzustellen, welchen Einfluss die Schafbeweidung einer Dauergrünlandfläche mit einem hohen Anteil an Jakobs-Greiskraut auf die Vegetationszusammensetzung hat, inwieweit Greiskraut von den Schafen aufgenommen wird und inwieweit diese Aufnahme einen Einfluss auf die Tiergesundheit hat.

Funding: MWK über Technischen Informationsbibliothek (TIB), 89.827 EUR

Project Details:
Initiierung einre OER-Sammlung zum Thema "Tierschutz und Ethik"""

Funding: Drittmittelprojekt, gefördert durch die Fritz-Ahrberg-Stiftung., 95.000 EUR

Project Details:
The preservation of food with chemical or physical methods should reduce the microbial contamination of food and should extend the shelf life of the products in order to minimise the health risk for the consumer. In a previous project at the Institute of Food Quality and Food Safety, the bacteria-reducing effects of Ethyl-Nα-lauryl-L-arginate hydrochloride (LAE) have already been successfully investigated. However, few studies are available that have examined the influence of LAE in combination with a biological preservation method (starter bacteria cultures) on the microbiological contamination with pathogenic and spoilage bacteria as well as on the chemical and sensory quality characteristics of the treated products. These investigations are useful to improve an individual effect by a combined treatment and to check whether these processes change qualitative properties of the food. For this reason, in the present study fresh meat from pigs, cattle and chickens, after inoculation with defined microorganisms, will be individually treated with LAE and starter culture mixtures either alone, or in combination, in order to show the effects of a combined treatment in comparison to the untreated control sample and to the individual treatment. Not only the short-term effects directly after treatment, but also the long-term effects during storage of the products until the usual best-before or use-by date will be investigated.

Project Details:
Different field strains of important, food-associated microorganisms (Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica ssp., Bacillus cereus, Campylobacter jejuni) are chosen. Subsequently, milk of different species (cattle and small ruminants) is inoculated with these germs and heat-treated under subpasteurization (thermization) conditions, which means low temperature treatments for short times. Aim of the study is to investigate the heat damage which is caused to the different microorganisms directly after heat treatment and after a storage period of three days. Additionally, possible matrix effects and strain variances are determined.

Funding: Hirsch foundation, 50.000 EUR

Project Details:
Decellularized heart valve tissues can be used to replace a malfunctioning heart valve. This option is particularly suitable for young patients, because decellularized tissues have regeneration potential. We have pioneered in developing methods for dry preservation of mammalian cells and tissues and demonstrated that this can be done using disaccharides such as sucrose or trehalose which can be found at high concentrations in anhydrobiotic organisms that naturally survive drying. Drying of decellularized heart valves may alter the properties of the extracellular matrix and impair their in vivo efficacy. The central aim of this project is to test if sucrose can be used for dry preservation of heart valves so that they can be safely used for transplantation. We already established methods to freeze-dry heart valves, but their storage stability needs to be demonstrated. In this project we plan to evaluate if vacuum-drying, which lacks a damaging freezing step, can be used as an alternative drying method. The second objective is to study the effects of (freeze-)drying on scaffold structure, and matrix biomolecules directly after drying as well during storage under normal (4°C or room temperate) and accelerated aging (37°C/high relative humidity) storage conditions. The general tissue architecture will be studied on hematoxylin-eosin stained tissue sections, whereas Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) will be used to obtain spectral fingerprints of tissues during storage. For the latter principal component analysis of the spectra will be used to evaluate tissue modifications during storage. Furthermore, accumulation of oxidative damage will be determined. We postulate that overall tissue structural appearance, and therewith functionality, are compromised by ice crystals, and that this can be minimized by reducing the tissue water content prior to freezing, or to avoid ice formation by using vacuum drying.

Funding: Gesellschaft für kynologische Forschung, 25.596 EUR

Project Details:
Ziel der Studie ist es, über den Therapienotstand in der Behandlung von Übelkeit als Symptom des Vestibularsyndroms des Hundes hinwegzuhelfen. Während es gute medikamentöse Behandlungsstrategien gegen Erbrechen gibt, wird die damit zusammenhängende Übelkeit häufig übersehen und bleibt unbehandelt. In unserer Studie testen wir daher ein neues Medikament gegen Übelkeit und etablieren einen Biomarker, um sie besser erkennen und objektiv evaluieren zu können.

Results:

The results provide preliminary evidence of the potential benefit of ondansetron in the treatment of nausea, which was present in all examined dogs. Vomiting was only observed in some dogs indicating that nausea can occur separately and should not be perceived only as a preceding stimulation of the vomiting centre.

https://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12917-021-02931-9

Project Details:
Holding and managing pigs currently faces diverse adjustments regarding animal welfare, castration, tail docking and housing in crate stands. Farmers discuss this in different blogs and expert forms in the internet. In this study expert opinion in the internet are assessed to evaluate the experts? knowledge regarding the themes named aboved. Citations shall be compared with current evidence base scientific knowledge. Differences shall be described and discussed in order to developed tight-fit training and education.

Funding: Drittmittelprojekt, gefördert durch die Fritz-Ahrberg-Stiftung., 70.000 EUR

Project Details:
The present study is exploring the potential of the cold-plasma-technology for the production of meat products without the addition of nitrite curing salt. PPA (= plama processed air) and PAW (= plasma activated water) are used do generate reactive nitrogen species in meat batter which might induce a reddening effect during the production of cooked sausages. Products generated with this novel technology are analyzed for microbiological, sensory and physicochemical parameters after production and after a storage period.

Project Details:
Wir untersuchen den Einfluss von Darm-Organismen auf die Symptome und Komorbiditäten der Epilepsie. Es gibt stets mehr Hinweise darauf, dass die Darm-Hirn-Achse eine wichtige Rolle für die Hirngesundheit spielt. Zur Therapie wird ergänzend einmal tgl. ein Probiotikum gegeben, welches die Lebensqualität verbessern und ggf. Anfälle reduzieren soll, die pharmakologisch nur schlecht kontrollierbar sind.

Funding: Ministerium für Energiewende, Landwirtschaft, Umwelt, Natur und Digitalisierung, 225.774 EUR

Project Details:
The population of the native grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) developed well after their protection and subsequent recolonisation of the Wadden Sea. The positive trend of the population poses a challenge from the management perspective. There is an increasing requirement of suitable habitat, which is commonly associated with enhanced conflict potential. A special kind of conflict exists on the Heligoland Dune, where the largest grey seal colony occurs in German waters. Individual animals habituated to human presence due to spatial density and the continuous close contact between humans and animals and therefore do not display the expected escape reflex anymore. This involves an increased risk potential for swimmers, especially in the water. This study aims to test specific management measures in order to create a swimming area safe for people and to implement them officially if successful. On that account, an acoustic method shall be tested, which has not been used for that purpose yet and is based on the so called startle reflex. In contrast to conventional acoustic devices scaring off seals unspecifically, a very specific signal will be used, which has got no extensive negative effects on target and also non-target species in theory. The study investigates if the application of this system has got the desired efficiency and causes no evident negative effects in this special context.

Results:

Within the framework of the project work already carried out, it has not yet been possible to achieve the targeted goals, as unexpected problems have arisen during data collection in the field. Considering the importance of this system for the community of Helgoland, as well as for the acceptance of grey seals by the inhabitants and guests of Helgoland, it would be important to complete this started experiment. Through a desired project extension, an objectively evaluable data basis should be created, wherewith the acoustic deterrence system can be evaluated.