Institutes

At the Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), cooperation between capable departments and workgroups in close physical proximity working on related topics with a high degree of specialisation for the six institutes forms the basis for the interdisciplinary and systemic research approach.

Researching the biological causes for the individual characteristics and performance of farm animals is the main focus of the FBN. The six institutes Genetics and Biometrics, Genome Biology, Reproductive Biology, Behavioural Physiology, Muscle Biology and Growth and Nutritional Physiology form the basis for interdisciplinary work with the following research focal points: 

• Developing and optimising statistical methods for the modelling, planning and evaluation of experiments and their application in the selection and breeding of farm animals (integration of information from genome analysis)
• Clarification of the genetic and epigenetic fundamentals of the occurrence and inheritance of select characteristics (disease resistance/immune competence, fertility and specific metabolic performance) that determine the productivity of farm animals, with the goal of deriving effective selection criteria and methods
• Clarification of regulation mechanisms in ovarian follicle and egg cell development, as well as researching embryo/foetus development processes and the interactions between the embryo/foetus and dam
• Investigating psychoneuroendocrine and immune biology consequences of dealing with stress as well as the ethophysiology of cognitive and bioacoustic behaviour in farm animals
• Researching the genetic/physiological fundamentals of myogenesis and adipogenesis as well as the influence of breeding, feeding and husbandry on muscle growth and meat quality
• Investigations for the regulation of protein and energy conversion as well as long-term physiological and molecular aspects of prenatal and early postnatal nutrition under consideration of the gastrointestinal microbiota