Team leaders

Prof. Piero Susmel, professor of animal nutrition

Prof. Mauro Spanghero, professor of animal nutrition

Scientists and student tutors
Dott. Cristina Zanfi, research assistant

Research

The research activity is focused on experiments to study the nutrition of ruminants, mainly in terms of rumen function and metabolism. The aim is to improve the nutritional efficiency and health conditions of ruminant animals and to reduce their digestive excretions, thereby improving farm profitability and reducing the environmental impact. New feeds, specific diet formulations and innovative dietary additives will be studied in short-term rumen fermentation apparatus (jars, tubes, vessels, syringes, etc) or in more complex continuous fermentation systems. To innovate the investigations, new experimental measures based on molecular techniques integrate measures usually utilized in vitro rumen fermentation studies.

Lab facilities 
Equipments for chemical analysis of feeds
High pressure liquid chromatography equipment
In vitro rumen fermentation apparatus (Daisy fermenter, in vitro Tilley and Terry, gas production, continuous fermenters)

Topics offered for thesis

• Rumen fermentation in vitro systems to improve feed efficiency and mitigate the environmental pollution
• Prediction of nutritive value of feed sources for ruminants
• Microencapsulation techniques to improve nutritional efficiency and health status in ruminants