Work starts on new Scottish poultry research centre
Work has begun on a £14m National Avian Research Facility (NARF) at the University of Edinburgh’s Easter Bush campus, aimed at improving bird health and welfare.
Research is expected to range from looking at diseases that place a major economic burden on the industry, such as campylobacter and salmonella, to developing vaccines against infections. Its resources will be made available to both national and international scientists.
“Key aims for the facility include addressing the need for improved sustainability in poultry production in light of an increasing global population, and benefiting human health through reducing food-borne diseases,” said a statement.
Construction of the facility, which is due to be completed by late 2014, is being funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Roslin Foundation and the University of Edinburgh. The initiative also involves collaboration with the Pirbright Institute in Surrey.
Professor David Hume, director of the Roslin Institute, said: “This build is a key component of the ongoing development of the Easter Bush Campus and reflects the growing portfolio of research that the Roslin Institute is undertaking with the aim of improving the health and welfare of chickens.”
The NARF will include sterile areas for poultry with different genetic compositions that are resistant to viruses, bacteria and parasites. It will also include conventional avian accommodation and laboratories for research.
Professor Pete Kaiser, who will head up the NARF, said: “Chicken is a production animal of major economic importance around the world, with 50 billion birds being bred every year. This facility will provide the Roslin Institute and its partners with an outstanding environment for undertaking the studies that will lead to major improvements in poultry health and welfare.”
The BBSRC is investing in research and infrastructure that will help to secure the future of the UK’s poultry industry. “Of the £85bn global poultry market, about 50% of breeding chickens come from genetic stock developed in the UK,” added BBSRC chief executive Douglas Kell.
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