CIEL | Multi-sector Research Capability

Productivity | Nutrition | Health & Welfare | Behaviour | Reproduction

Livestock food chain: research and innovation

Across the livestock sector, CIEL-supported multi-sector capability research is finding new ways to feed an ever-growing population. It is supporting the production of affordable, safe, nutritious, high quality food, produced to the highest welfare standards, with the least possible impact on the environment, and helping those who produce and supply food to do so profitably and sustainably. The main areas are across: health and welfare, genetics, behaviour, reproduction and food Integrity.

Expertise includes:

  • Informatics and clinical genome sequencing
  • Adopting cutting-edge human health science to develop novel, targeted innovations for the livestock and food sectors
  • Characterising nutritional value, food quality, and investigating food fraud.

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    Dedicated to the development and use of the latest sensor-based and automated technologies to support precision livestock farming and enhance the performance, health and welfare of livestock.

    C-DIAL capability enables the automated measurement of animal performance and detection of certain animal behaviours that are early signs of health or welfare compromise.

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    Enabling unprecedented insights into the health and well-being of livestock and the prevention of human diseases – a One Health approach.

    Research within the Large Animal Research Imaging Facility, or LARIF, supports the One Health framework, recognising the link between human, animal and environmental health.

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    Portable, high-resolution assessment of animal carcass or live animal body composition.

    The SRUC Animal & Veterinary Science Research Group provide CT scanning (computer tomography) services to livestock breeders, to other research organisations and for veterinary diagnosis.

    Enabling large volume product quality assessments, wherever needed.

    Thought to be the first mobile unit of its kind, the Mobile Sensory Laboratory facility brings the latest imaging and meat quality testing technologies direct to where it’s needed, supporting research, animal breeding programmes and ensuring consumer preferences are at the heart of the innovation process.

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    New plasma research facility focusing on potential uses of the antimicrobial properties of cold plasma for livestock healthcare and biosecurity, food hygiene and shelf-life extension.

    The Centre for Plasma in Agrifood – AgriPlas is a dedicated research facility within the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS), Queen’s University Belfast.

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    State-of-the-art scientific platforms to facilitate increasingly rapid and powerful identification of feed and food contamination.

    The ASSET (‘Assured, Safe and Traceable’) Centre is a linchpin of the Insitute for Global Food Security (IGFS), Queen’s University Belfast.

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    Edinburgh GENetic Evaluation Services (EGENES)

    EGENES is a leading centre for the development and delivery of genetic improvement tools for the livestock industry. The team at EGENES produces national genetic and genomic evaluations for all dairy cattle and sheep and for the UK’s biggest beef breeds. The process uses performance and pedigree data recorded by farmers, breeders and other industry players.

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    Find out about all our multi-sector capability in the full CIEL Ruminant Brochure featuring details of the research capability available, technical specifications, video walkthroughs and case studies.