Research

The animal physiology program offers students the opportunity to pursue MS and PhD degrees studying the biological processes which are critical for the functioning of all animal species. Research conducted by this graduate faculty explores the basic processes of cells, tissues and organ systems in animals and humans and the application of this knowledge for efficient animal production and the enhanced understanding and treatment of animal and human diseases. Areas of research dealing with animal reproduction include: the neuroendocrine control of reproduction; the pituitary and intragonadal regulation of ovarian and testicular germ cell maturation as well as the analysis of seminal plasma for improved fertility. Research examining cellular and molecular processes in relation to disease include topics such as: the regulation of ion and molecule transport; the mechanisms of aging/cellular senescence; the development of immortal cell models; and the paracrine interactions and cell signaling important in carcinogenesis. Research in the area of functional genomics deals with the development of animals for modeling and treating human disease, particularly diabetes and cystic fibrosis.

Students choosing this area of emphasis become a part of an engaging, supportive and collaborative group of researchers with an interdisciplinary approach to graduate education and research. Coursework options encompass many disciplines in addition to physiology including biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, neuroscience and veterinary medicine. Experimental approaches employed by these researchers span classical biochemical analyses to state-of-the-art molecular and cellular techniques for the development of cellular and animal models. Interactions with faculty and students from multiple departments and research programs enhance the graduate experience. Students graduating from this program receive excellent training for a variety of future careers including employment as scientists and educators at academic, industry and government institutions as well as further education as veterinary and medical practitioners.

The nutrition area of emphasis involves faculty and students with expertise and resources aimed at a number of different areas including determination of nutrient requirements for livestock and poultry; influence of nutrition and feeding management on reproduction and milk production; evaluation of feeding value of alternative feeds; relationships between host and rumen microbes to maximize the nutrient supply for productive functions in the ruminant; and evaluation of feed additives and growth promotants and their effects on growth, feed conversion, meat quality, and economics.

Recently, much of the focus in this area of emphasis has involved evaluating diets and feeding programs aimed at reducing odor and nutrient excretion in livestock manure while supporting optimum productivity. Financial support has been provided from commodity groups as well as a variety of extramural sources. Newly-remodeled laboratory facilities on the St. Paul Campus, construction of new swine research facilities at the Southern Research and Outreach Center in Waseca, MN, and the West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris, MN, and an outstanding academic environment on the St. Paul Campus and branch stations provides an excellent and unique opportunity for students to increase their knowledge and enhance their career opportunities.

The Genetics program offers graduate M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in avian, bovine, or porcine molecular genetics; applied dairy cattle genetics; and quantitative genetics. New and highly advanced laboratory and computing facilities are used for current research in genome analysis, gene expression studies, mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTL), embryonic skeletal muscle development, the use of primordial germ cells. Current research topics include genetic analysis of health and fertility of dairy cattle from field data, selection index weights for dairy cattle, impact of selection for body size in dairy cattle, monitoring levels of inbreeding in breeds of dairy cattle, crossbreeding in dairy cattle, bovine and porcine functional genomics, annotation of the bovine and porcine genomes, genetic mapping of biomedical and performance traits in pigs, genetic engineering of the pig genome, dairy QTL mapping and genome-wide association studies, and statistical analysis and computational tools for QTL analysis and genome-wide association studies using SNP markers.

Course work is offered in advanced dairy cattle breeding, linear model methods, selection index theory, statistical genetics and genomics, and molecular biology techniques. Students in the Genetics program generally are required to take courses from the campus-wide course offering, including courses in statistics, population and quantitative genetics, evolutionary genetics, cell biology, developmental biology, and molecular genetics.

Our cutting-edge research in animal genetics includes genome analysis, gene expression studies, mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTL), embryonic skeletal muscle development, the use of primordial germ cells. Current research topics include:

• Genetic analysis of health and fertility of dairy cattle from field data
• Selection index weights for dairy cattle
• Impact of selection for body size in dairy cattle
• Monitoring levels of inbreeding in breeds of dairy cattle
• Crossbreeding of dairy cattle
• Bovine and porcine functional genomics
• Annotation of the bovine and porcine genomes
• Genetic mapping of biomedical and performance traits in pigs
• Genetic engineering of the pig genome
• Dairy QTL mapping and genome-wide association studies
• Statistical analysis and computational tools for QTL analysis
• Genome-wide association studies using SNP markers

Research in genetic mapping is currently one of the leading disciplines in animal science. Data from mapping of genomes in livestock has been found to be of great applied value in agriculture. Genetic maps have allowed researchers to identify chromosomal regions that influence traits of economic and scientific importance.

Dr. Yang Da and colleagues at the University of Minnesota and other institutions have designed computer software for animal gene mapping. Several of these tools are available for download. For more information, please visit the Software Tools for Animal Gene Mapping website or contact Dr. Yang Da at [email protected].

The documented decline of health, fertility, and survival of pure Holsteins has resulted in tremendous global interest in crossbreeding of dairy cattle. Monitoring of genetic relationships and inbreeding of Holsteins has been an on-going area of interest for researcher Dr. Les Hansen. The majority of Dr. Hansen's research at the University of Minnesota currently is focused on the comparison of crossbreds versus pure Holsteins.

ProCROSS crossbreds were more profitable than their Holstein herdmates in a 10-year study with high-performance Minnesota dairy herds (July 2019)

• Report in lbs (PDF)
• Report in kg (PDF)

Note on accessibility: The documents on this page were created before current accessibility policy requirements took effect, and therefore may not be accessible. To request this content in an accessible format, contact [email protected].

The production systems area of emphasis provides unique and exciting opportunities to gain multidisciplinary tools essential for a career in the livestock industry that will include identifying and solving problems in management systems, animal welfare, environmental impacts, and food quality/safety issues.

Animal Sciences faculty in collaboration with colleagues in other departments in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, and the College of Veterinary Medicine allow student access to a diverse multidisciplinary team for those interested in an animal production systems graduate program. Resources will include both campus and out-state livestock facilities and on-farm cooperators. Examples of production systems research projects include statistical control process control principles in dairy and swine, low input dairy and swine, dairy crossbreeding, alternative poultry, animal comfort and behavior in dairy and swine, cow-calf and beef feedlot management, and decision making processes for evaluating management at the farm level for options across all species with implications to environmental impact and food quality/safety.

Animal production research in the Department of Animal Science focuses on improving livestock production systems, management practices, animal health and welfare, and food quality and safety. Animal production research topics include:

• Organic dairy production
• Precision dairy technologies including robotic milking, automated calf feeders and cow behavior sensors
• Transition dairy cow health, management and welfare
• Cow-calf and beef feedlot management
• Pre- and/or post-weaning management practices that enhance meat quality and safety
• Automated monitoring of behavioral indicators of swine welfare
• Reducing piglet mortality in alternative farrowing systems
• Statistical process control principles in dairy and swine
• Sustainable poultry production
• Management, health and stress interactions in market turkeys
• Decision making processes for evaluating management at the farm level for options across all species with implications to environmental impact and food quality/safety

Research in growth biology involves study of cellular and molecular regulation, growth mechanisms of muscle and other tissues, the action and function of cells, and metabolic processes. Research on the development and growth mechanisms of muscle and other tissue helps us gain knowledge for efficient and sustainable production of meat. Animal Science researchers with expertise in the area of growth biology conduct studies on:

• Utilizing molecular biology and muscle cell culture methodologies to study the regulation of muscle growth during embryonic and postnatal growth of economically-important animals.
• Effect of feed additives and beta adrenergic agonists on skeletal muscle growth.
• Role of satellite cells in muscle growth.
• Muscle tissue culture systems.
• Cellular and molecular regulation of muscle growth and development in meat-producing animals, with a specific focus on the role and mechanism of action of the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), their binding proteins (IGFBPs) and anabolic steroids in the regulation of muscle growth.

• Immortalization of avian cells for vaccine substrates, molecular mechanisms of cellular senescence and immortalization, regulation of cell cycle events, cloning of growth specific sequences, avian endocrinology, recombinant protein production.

Meat science research at the University of Minnesota addresses the changing needs of the meat industry and current issues facing meat animal producers. Meat research is conducted in a modern meat processing facility capable of processing both red meat and poultry species. Current research topics include:

• Value-added animal product processing and safety
• Effects of feeding biofuel by-products to livestock on meat quality and safety
• Pre-harvest effects on meat quality
• Processed meat technology

The Meat Science Laboratory is geographically located between the Department of Animal Science and the Department of Food Science and Nutrition in the Andrew Boss Laboratory of Meat Science building (ABLMS). The Meat Science Laboratory is a modern meat processing facility capable of processing both red meat and poultry species. In addition to the extension, research, and teaching capacities that the laboratory serves, fresh and processed meat products are also made available for purchase by the university community and interested parties, and some products may be featured in other university dining venues and events. Visit the Meat Science Laboratory.

The ethanol industry is one of the most rapidly growing segments of U.S. agriculture. Distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) is one by-product of ethanol production. Most (~98%) of the DDGS in North America comes from dry-grind plants that produce ethanol for use in oxygenated gasoline. The remaining 1 to 2% of DDGS is produced by the alcohol beverage industry.

Because of the large supply of DDGS available to the feed and livestock industry, researchers have been evaluating the nutritional value of DDGS and developing feeding recommendations for its use in livestock and poultry feeds.

Like the U.S. ethanol industry, the U.S. biodiesel industry is rapidly growing. The primary by-product of biodiesel production is crude glycerine (glycerol). With the growing supply of crude glycerine being produced, new alternative uses are being developed for it including its use as an energy source in livestock and poultry feeds.

Scientists in the Department of Animal Science and other departments at the University of Minnesota have collaborated with scientists from other Land Grant universities and the USDA-ARS in research to study utilization of by-products from the ethanol and biodiesel industries as a feed ingredient.

Dr. Jerry Shurson has developed a website that serves as a source for the most current information on the evaluation and limitations of feeding biofuels co-products to livestock and poultry. For more information, please visit the Biofuels Co-products in Animal Feeds website.

Integrated Animal Systems Biology is a new approach to integrate biological information from the micro to macro levels (genes - mRNA - protein - organ - system - multiple systems - whole animal) which provides a more comprehensive understanding of functions and interactions of complex biological systems in animals. Integrated Animal Systems Biology uses “omics” analytical techniques and bioinformatics integrated with traditional measurements of animal growth to discover “cause and effect” relationships. Analytical techniques include metabolomics, transcriptomics, molecular genetics, metagenomics, bioinformatics, intestinal sensing, signaling, and cell differentiation.