Norbert Stockhofe and Manouk Vrieling gave a webinar for Dutch veterinarians

On World Microbiome Day public engagement events are happening worldwide to celebrate the wide diversity of the microbiome and its importance in human and planetary health, as well as in our food system. 

IRTA’s director Josep Usall analyzed the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic is having in IRTA. Many projects, including PIGSs, are experiencing delays due to work restrictions and prioritization of COVID-19 activities. 

Better life for pigs and chickens

The recently funded IMAGEN programme, coordinated by Wageningen University & Research, brings research into animal behaviour together with computer science to improve the health and welfare of pigs and laying hens and to reduce the ecological footprint of the food production.

The main Catalan agri-food companies, together with the Vice President Pere Aragonés and the Consellera of Agriculture Teresa Jordà, participated in a telematic meeting organized by the Institute to assess the effects of the pandemic in the sector.

In ALI cultures, basal cells of the upper respiratory epithelial cells, mainly tracheal and bronchial basal epithelial cells, are used. By using various growth supplements, these cells are allowed to differentiate. This method closely mimics the in vivo situation. However, the lack of some of the innate immune cells in this system, which are commonly present in the upper respiratory tract, is a drawback in fully representing this the in vivo situation. In the PIGSs project we succeeded in overcoming hurdle by the establishment of an ALI-macrophage co-culture system. 

The microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA) plays a big role in pig welfare: feeding and social behaviour, stress, fear and memory. A better understanding of the influence of the MGBA on welfare is needed to develop innovative feeding strategies that can improve both animal performance, health and welfare. A webinar organized by Schothorst Feed Research will present latest data on the role of gut microbiota on welfare of pigs. 

The health crisis caused by COVID-19 is affecting the pig sector, both in the French and international markets. Companies in the sector are experiencing major changes in their operations. Pig prices are falling due to lower demand from slaughterhouses, affected by labor shortages and problems accessing foreign markets. Despite the strong demand for exports to third countries, these new elements are limiting the price of pork for the time being.

Use of precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) and air-liquid interface (ALI) cultures as in vitro models to reduce experimental animal infection

Samples to test corona patients for the COVID-19 virus are sent to the Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR) laboratory as of Monday 30 March. This constitutes a significant increase in the testing capacity in the Netherlands.