My research program is focused on developing nutritional strategies to enhance the productivity and health of animals, thereby increasing the availability of animal-based healthy food for humans. The ultimate goal is to develop decision models that can assist animal nutritionists and the livestock industry in creating effective feeding programs in the volatile feed market and the post-antibiotic era, two critical issues facing the livestock sector at present. To meet the goal, I have been working with various research projects ranging from fundamental research (gut health management) to applied research (feedstuff evaluation). Fundamental research emphasizes “dietary manipulation to improve the overall gut health of monogastric animals,” while applied research focuses on “evaluating novel feedstuffs and feed additives for their nutritional value and functional properties in pigs and poultry.” Of particular interest is “early nutrition programming in broiler chickens."
Much of the motivation for these activities is to serve the needs of today’s consumer’s demand for healthy, environmentally friendly, and sustainable animal production while maintaining the competitiveness of the industry. The approach to meeting the objectives is interdisciplinary and involves working in close coordination with various stakeholders from academia, research, and industry. To execute the research plan, I have been using various research models, including in vivo, in vitro, and in ovo models in my lab.
Ongoing research themes
Theme 1: Early nutrition programing (in ovo and post-hatch feeding) to modulate gut health and physiology of poultry
Theme 2: Effect of feed additives (enzymes, prebiotics, and probiotics) on nutrient digestibility, growth performance and gut health of poultry and pig
Theme 3: Sustainable poultry production (dealing with climate change)
Theme 4: Alternative feedstuffs for sustainable animal and aquaculture production
Theme 5: Sustainable grass-fed beef production