…. and chickens, too

Tools and technology developed in Quantomics apply to broiler chickens, too. Here the effort is geared towards enhancing the birds’ inherent capacity to resist avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) infections. This is one of the most serious conditions in poultry, severely challenging the individuals’ health and welfare, while incurring considerable economic losses for the sector. Quantomics is in the process of identifying specific genes that render individual birds inherently resistant to the disease. The project operates at the commercial end of the sector, meaning results will be directly applicable to the type of birds that end up at the consumers’ tables. Appropriate breeding programmes utilising this information will ensure fewer infections, less antibiotic usage and healthier, more robust birds.