Swine Research
The swine industry provides high-quality protein essential for a healthy human population. Pigs are also valuable animal models for biomedical research to better understand the basis of health and disease in humans and other animals. Research programs focus on the nutrition, metabolism, physiology, health, welfare, and reproductive biology of gestating, lactating, neonatal, nursery, and post-weaning swine to optimize the production and well-being of this agriculturally and biomedically important animal system.
Current programs investigate factors that contribute to successful reproduction and the development of healthy neonatal and nursery pigs, including reproductive immunology, protein nutrition and amino acid metabolism, and piglet microbiome development. By translating knowledge from basic and applied studies with pigs to the swine industry, this research supports successful pregnancies, the birth and development of healthy offspring, and sustainable, profitable swine production.
Learn More About all Animal Science Research
Currently, the Department of Animal Science is researching a variety of projects that cover issues such as animal genomics, meat science, food safety, as well as projects focusing on the major livestock species in Texas. Our research programs focus on applied science, which has an immediate application to Texas animal agriculture, and basic science, which provides the foundation for scientific information to impact further research discoveries.