Animal Production
Person in charge:
Luisa Biondi
The Division of Animal Production of the Di3A is represented by 3 different scientific sectors:
AGR17 , Animal Genetics
AGR18 Animal Nutrition
AGR19 Applied Animal Science
- AGR17: Preservation of animal genetic resources, animal demography and ethnology, biotechnologies applied to animal genetics.
- AGR18: animal feedstuff and dietary formulation in animal farms, technical and biotechnical methods applied to animal feeding.
-AGR19: Animal morphological evaluation, animal behavior, adaptation of animals to different environments, technical and biotechnical methods applied to animal handling, evaluation of the quality of products of animal origin.
Research themes and Projects
The research topics developed by the researchers of the University of Catania are the following:
- AGR17: biotechnologies applied to animal genetics; molecular characterization and animal biodiversity (proteomic approach); evaluation of milk protein loci in the different animal species such as cattle, sheep, goat and donkey; microsatellites and SNPs molecular markers; the analysis, by proteomic techniques, of the protein fraction of non-bovine milk (goat and donkey in particular), in order to highlight protein polymorphism possibly associated with hypoallergenic properties; sequencing of loci of interest in animal science and mtDNA, to obtain information on the origin and evolution of the breeds and horse populations in Sicily.
- AGR 18: Feeding behavior in sheep and goats extensively reared, with particular emphasis on animal intake at pasture; effects of animal grass feeding on product quality. Ruminal biohydrogenation as affected by animal diet; Dietary secondary compounds and animal product quality; Reducing the impact of feedstuff transport.
- AGR19: Effects of animal feeding (with particular emphasis on agricultural wastes, co-products and by-products) on products quality; Animal handling and meat shelf life.