Newsletter 2006
Animal Sciences
Newsletter 2006
Faculty Highlights
Air Quality Studies Earn Purdue Agriculture Team Award
When big farms meet suburbia, the melding of the two lifestyles can be bumpy, but an interdisciplinary research group focuses on easing that relationship by alleviating odor, gas and dust emitted from livestock production facilities. The research group's work has earned them the 2005 Purdue University Agriculture Team Award.
Dean Randy Woodson presented this year's award to the team on May 10. Team members include Albert Heber, Jiqin Ni, Teng Lim and Claude Diehl, all of the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering; Alan Sutton, Scott Radcliffe, Brian Richert, and Dan Kelly, all of the Department of Animal Sciences; Richard Grant of the Department of Agronomy; Ching Ching Wu of the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology and the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory; and Neil Zimmerman of the School of Health Sciences.
Zoo Animals and Africa Focus of Professor's Time
By Jessica Livingston, Animal Sciences Ambassador
Dr. Rebecca Krisher has opened new doors in the department by developing an innovative course. She introduced ANSC 495Z, zoo animal conservation science, last spring. Through this course, Krisher hopes to teach a class students want to take because it meets their interest and not because it is a requirement.
Krisher is offering a second course this summer, a study abroad program in South Africa. This study abroad program has actually been offered to graduate students for several years, but this is the first year the program will be open to undergraduate students. She has a collaborator in South Africa with a lab devoted to reproduction and bio-banking. At local reserves, Krisher and her students can collect the tissues and materials needed for their research. In addition to that research, Krisher and her students will spend time training other students in South Africa on techniques used to study reproduction. During the field work, Krisher hopes to develop methods of artificial insemination in zoo animals and wild species for conservation purposes.
In addition to her teaching and research, Krisher counsels approximately 12 undergraduates. She received the Outstanding Counselor Award from the department in 2004.
Krisher joined the faculty at Purdue in 1998 and is an associate professor of developmental biology and reproductive physiology. She obtained a bachelor's degree in Biology from Hanover College, a master's degree in Animal Science from North Carolina State University, and a PhD in Animal Science/Dairy from Virginia Tech. At NCSU, her research involved successful in vitro culture of porcine one-cell embryos in mouse oviducts maintained in organ culture.
Formerly, Krisher worked at Granada Biosciences in College Station, Texas researching in vitro maturation of cow oocytes. Her current research focuses on oocyte developmental competence by looking at genes that are transcribed in the cell to determine the mechanisms that make a good oocyte.
Richert Works on Dietary Manipulation to Reduce Odor
By Alan Duttlinger, Animal Sciences Ambassador
A major research area for Dr. Brian Richert is dietary manipulation to reduce odor and nutrient excretion from swine manure and facilities. To aid in Dr. Richert's research, he is utilizing the Swine Environmental Research Building that was erected at the Animal Sciences Research and Education Center in the fall of 2004. This state-of-the-art building is the only one like it in the country. The facility is a 12-room barn that holds 60 head per room with individual waste removal, ventilation, and feeding systems. "Purdue University is a leader in environmental research," says Dr. Richert. The new facility allows the progressive researcher to gather accurate results by collecting data through computerized monitoring.
Dr. Richert has served as Swine Nutrition and Management Assistant and Associate Professor since 1995. He received his bachelor's degree from South Dakota State University and obtained his master's and doctorate degrees from Kansas State University. Serving as a swine extension specialist, Dr. Richert brings answers to pork producers on several nutrition and management issues. Also, Dr. Richert is the chair of the swine program committee for the swine unit, which is used by 21 College of Agriculture faculty members.
Dr. Richert has conducted short courses for swine industry professionals from several countries, educating them on the topics of swine nutrition, management, feed processing, health, and pork quality. He has also traveled to China and Vietnam, working with swine producers and feed companies on swine nutrition and management
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