Wageningen Animal Sciences

👑🌴 Royal spotlight on conservation! Recently, Princess Beatrix visited the Saba Research Centre, diving into the inspiring Diadema II Project. Led by our researchers Alwin Hylkema and Oliver Klokman, the project—collaborating with Van Hall Larenstein—is dedicated to restoring populations of the long-spined sea urchin (Diadema antillarum), vital herbivores for the health of coral reefs in the Dutch Caribbean around Saba and St. Eustatius. 🪸 These fascinating creatures play a key role in maintaining vibrant and resilient reef ecosystems. The Princess’s visit underscores the importance of preserving our oceans for future generations.

🏆🎓 Nominated: Teacher of the Year Award The jury surprised the nominated teachers in the top five this week. Each of them is to receive an individual education bonus of one thousand euros, to be spent as they wish. One of them is Sjouke Anne Kingma. The winner will be presented with a special sculpture on 10 December. Kingma: ‘Fantastic, a huge honour! Students’ appreciation motivates me. It gives me energy. I invest much energy in my teaching, and the fact that this does not go unnoticed is great. This is certainly an incentive to do the very best I can to deliver top-quality education. The students deserve it.’ 🦜 Dr. Sjouke Kingma is interested in why animals live in groups and whether and how the social environment determines individuals' behaviour and physiology and their ultimate success in survival and reproduction. His work integrates conceptual and comparative work with field observations, molecular genetic analyses and experiments, working on several different social species. His current work is centered around establishing how group membership is regulated and how conflict among individuals is resolved. 

🎧🧟♀️ Luistertip voor het weekend: Zombie-beesten Stel je voor: een muis die recht op de klauwen van een kat afrent. Of een rups die zonder reden omhoog klimt in een boom om daar te sterven… Het klinkt bizar, maar bij deze dieren is de controle volledig overgenomen door een virus of parasiet. Onze collega Vera Ros van Wageningen Plant Research is expert virologie bij insecten. Zij onderzoekt deze zombie-beesten en hun indringers. “Virussen kennen we natuurlijk als iets wat ons ziek maakt. Maar het kan ook hele fascinerende dingen doen, zoals gedrag veranderen.” Gelukkig gebeurt dit niet bij mensen... toch? Luister deze podcast van Universiteit van Nederland als je meer wilt weten: https://lnkd.in/egSy-Tqc

🌊🌬️ Windenergie op zee: klimaatdoel versus ecologische impact In de november-editie van het Pioneering Tech Magazine van de TU Delft deelt marien ecoloog en universitair hoofddocent Reindert Nijland zijn inzichten over de impact van offshore  windparken op het ecosysteem van de Noordzee. “We zijn het er allemaal over eens dat Nederland zijn ambitieuze klimaatdoelen moet halen, en windenergie op zee is een cruciaal onderdeel van deze energietransitie. Maar we moeten ervoor waken dat de haast waarmee we nu bouwen geen onherstelbare ecologische schade aanricht.” ⌛ “Er moet voldoende tijd en ruimte zijn voor ecologisch onderzoek en het verankeren van goede monitoringsinstrumenten. Zo kunnen we beter begrijpen wat de optelsom van ecologische effecten betekent voor de Noordzee, en hoe we onomkeerbare schade kunnen voorkomen.” Lees hieronder het volledige artikel 👇

This is a Humans of WUR story of people of the Animal Sciences Group (ASG). With these stories, we aim to spotlight our people. Today we spoke with Barry Rockx.   “I’m Barry Rockx and I work as a senior researcher at Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR). I obtained my PhD from Utrecht University and worked at RIVM and Erasmus MC. Now, I live in Houten with my wife and children. In my spare time, I like walking my dog and snowboarding.”   𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤? "As a senior researcher in Virology & Molecular Biology, I focus on virus infections, especially zoonotic viruses transmitted from animals to humans by vectors like mosquitoes, midges, and ticks. I'm fascinated by how something so tiny and non-living—a simple capsule of protein with genetic material—can have such a huge and devastating impact on humans, animals, and society. At WBVR, we study these dangerous viruses in both lab models and target animals. This allows us to test vaccines and quickly assess their real-world effectiveness in target groups."   𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐒𝐆 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧? "Agriculture and the use of land are rapidly changing, both locally and globally. This includes shifts toward circular and nature-inclusive farming, climate change, and efforts to boost biodiversity. While the goal is a sustainable food system with a focus on animal health and welfare, there are also new risks, like increased contact between farmed and wild animals, which may raise the chance of disease transmission. Climate change can also boost the number of vectors like mosquitoes, spreading new diseases. At WBVR, we map interactions between wild animals, livestock, and humans and identify viruses and bacteria in wildlife to pinpoint which pathogens could threaten human and animal health. A recent success story is the development of a human vaccine against the Rift Valley Fever virus. The fact that we, as a veterinary institute, have developed a human vaccine is of course very special."   𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐔𝐑/𝐀𝐒𝐆 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐧 𝟏𝟎 𝐨𝐫 𝟐𝟎 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬' 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞? "The opportunity to collaborate across disciplines is what makes WBVR special. Here, experts in virology, vector biology, hosts, mathematical modelling, and intervention strategies come together to solve complex issues. I've been leading the 'Vector-borne Viruses' Expertise Team for two years and value this multidisciplinary approach. Additionally, WBVR offers a unique chance to work with target animals in high-containment biosafety labs, enabling groundbreaking research on viruses that pose threats to both humans and animals. This makes WUR the go-to place for One Health research in the Netherlands."   #HumansofWUR #animalscience #animalhealth

🏆🔬 Bioengineers Romy Dresken and Sophie van Oort were awarded for their contribution to developing alternatives to animal testing. The award was handed out at the recent Biotechnical Days in Den Bosch. Congratulations Romy and Sophie! 🎉 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 At our institute Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR), the team where Romy and Sophie are a part of performs research into respiratory viruses based on complex cell systems for farm animals. The term complex cell systems refers to in vitro cell culture models that mimic tissues of living animals. For airway tissue this means that the researchers grow ciliated epithelial cells of the respiratory tract. The models have been used to study, among other things, the susceptibility of the airway epithelium of cows to infection with the avian flu virus. ‘Romy and Sophie have been essential in developing the complex cell systems for farm animals,’ said senior researcher Rik de Swart, responsible for the relevant research at WBVR. 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 An important benefit of the work with complex cell systems is that fewer animals are needed in experiments. The award by the Committee on Price Alternatives to Animal Testing is given to laboratory animal keepers, biotechnicians or lab technicians who make an outstanding contribution to replace, reduce and refine the use of laboratory animals for research or education. Wageningen University & Research makes continuous efforts in support of this goal. The development of the complex cell systems expertise was made possible partly thanks to support from the programs: Next Level Animal Science (NLAS) and Early Recognition and Rapid Action in Zoonotic Emergencies (ERRAZE@WUR). Read more about Next Level Animal Science (NLAS) 👇 https://lnkd.in/e_CzHCMu #award #organoids #virology

🎓 Last month Tiantong Zhao completed her PhD cum laude! Tiantong Zhao successfully defended her thesis 𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘴: 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘪𝘴 𝘏𝘪𝘫𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘯-𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘰𝘭𝘺𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘚𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘐𝘯𝘷𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 under the guidance of her promoter Jerry Wells. Tiantong Zhao was awarded her doctor’s title with honours. 🧠 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘪𝘴 is a zoonotic bacterium that causes invasive diseases in pigs and humans. A 𝘚. 𝘴𝘶𝘪𝘴 infection of the human brain can lead to serious meningitis, with high mortality and long-term complications such as hearing loss. The mechanisms by which 𝘚. 𝘴𝘶𝘪𝘴 invades the brain and the factors affecting its harmfulness are not fully understood. Researcher Tiantong Zhao and her colleagues developed human stem cell-based in vitro models that closely mimic the blood vessels in the brain (BBB barrier) and the choroid plexus epithelium, also known as the blood-cerebral spinal fluid barrier. These models were used to investigate how 𝘚. 𝘴𝘶𝘪𝘴 interacts with the brain barriers. “Using these models, we found that the enolase enzyme of 𝘚. 𝘴𝘶𝘪𝘴 hijacks the host plasminogen to facilitate the invasion of the brain”, explains the new doctor. Once the bacteria find their way to the brain, they may survive in different fluids, according to the researcher. The findings of Tiantong Zhao provide new insights into how 𝘚. 𝘴𝘶𝘪𝘴 can ‘hijack’ a host protease to facilitate crossing of these host barriers. Her thesis work opens the door to new research investigating the role of genes in translocation across the blood-central nervous system barrier (BCNSB) models. Congratulations on obtaining your doctorate with honours Wageningen University & Research, Tiantong Zhao! 🎈🎊

“During my study I started observing pigs and I was immediately hooked. Pigs are highly intelligent and expressive animals. They are inquisitive and like to interact with people. My PhD research revealed that pigs have distinct personalities, with some individuals being more outgoing than others. The social life of pigs is very interesting. Pigs have highly developed social skills and provide each other with social support. Their sense of smell is extraordinary and even exceeds that of dogs. That is fascinating. There is still so much to learn about how pigs use their senses for communication.” “Pigs are studied by many WUR colleagues, such as geneticists and animal nutritionists. My focus is on pig behaviour, which includes social interaction, cognition and emotions. There is a shift in attention from solely minimizing negative events towards promoting positive emotional experiences. But how can we measure these? We try to develop novel, non-invasive ways to do so. For instance, we study body language and temperature changes in the face as potential indicators of positive affective states. Further exploring facial expressions of pigs is on our wish list too. We are also interested in the wider implications of positive experiences. An enriched environment is important for pig welfare, but we found that it also increases resilience to stressors and even to an infection. So is a happy pig also a healthy pig? That’s what we would like to find out.” “Our role is to provide the biological knowledge needed to develop welfare friendly systems. For instance, we would like to move towards systems without farrowing crates for sows, but this may increase piglet crushing. We try to solve this dilemma by studying maternal behaviour. Genetics, behaviour and physiology all play a role here. Piglets have elaborate interactions with their mother and also learn a lot from her, including feed preferences. They prefer to eat with their mother, even if their own feed is more palatable and digestible. It is a social aspect: what mom eats, is safe.” “Pig welfare research at WUR has yielded a wealth of knowledge. This has changed our view on pigs and how we should treat them. Knowledge provided by us and others has influenced policy, legislation and has helped to develop science-based welfare labels. Insights from our studies can partly be applied in current husbandry systems and have led to improved pig welfare. However, full application would only be possible in systems in which all behavioural needs of pigs can be met. Keeping all pigs under such optimal conditions, even though I would like to, will not happen before I retire. Until then, through our research, I want to support future changes towards animal-centred livestock farming systems, inspired by the natural behaviour of pigs.” Dr. J.E. (Liesbeth) Bolhuis – Associate Professor Adaptation Physiology #animalwelfare #pigs #animalscience

🐘🧬 Mirte Bosse, assistant professor at Wageningen University & Research and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam receives NWO VIDI grant! Bosse: “I’m absolutely thrilled that my VIDI grant about conservation (pan)genomics in Asian elephants has received funding by NWO! Grateful for the opportunity and eager to contribute to conservation efforts through this research.” This is the result of a collaboration with international conservation experts, local institutions and European studbook keeper Diergaarde Blijdorp - Rotterdam Zoo. Congratulations, Mirte! 🎉 #conservation #genomics #research

👨🎓 Leroy Versteeg successfully defended his PhD thesis, titled "Advancing Vaccine Research for Chagas Disease: Mitigating Parasitic Infections Using State-of-the-Art Technology," on October 9 2024. He was awarded his doctorate with honours (cum laude). Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease caused by infection with the protozoan parasite 𝘛𝘳𝘺𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘢 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘻𝘪. The disease currently lacks an effective vaccine. It affects an estimated 6 to 7 million people worldwide, primarily in Central and South America, leading to 10,000 to 50,000 deaths annually. 🦠Leroy's research improved existing techniques to evaluate vaccine-induced immune responses. Furthermore, his work provided new insights into the immune mechanisms by which the vaccine candidate Tc24 offers partial protection against 𝘛. 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘻𝘪. Of the thousands of proteins produced by the parasite, only a select few are displayed on the surface of infected cells. There they can be recognized and targeted by immune cells capable of destroying these infected cells. These parasitic proteins are key targets for vaccine development, yet identifying them has been a challenge. 💉 By employing immunopeptidomics, a method used to analyse peptides presented on the surface of cells, Leroy identified heat shock protein Tcj2 as a promising new vaccine candidate for Chagas disease. When tested as an mRNA vaccine, Tcj2 stimulated the desired immune cell responses, which effectively limited parasite replication in an 𝘪𝘯 𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘳𝘰 model, demonstrating its significant potential as a future vaccine candidate for Chagas disease. 📖 👨🔬 👩⚕️  This PhD project was a collaborative effort between the Cell Biology and Immunology group at Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.