ANIMAL PRODUCTION AND GENETIC IMPROVEMENT
cod. 1000264

Academic year 2022/23
1° year of course - Second semester
Professor responsible for the course unit
SALERI Roberta
integrated course unit
8 credits
hub: PARMA
course unit
in ITALIAN

Course unit structured in the following modules:

Learning objectives

At the end of the course the student will have understood and know in detail the fundamental mechanisms connected to animal production. He/she should possess knowledge of the useful biotechnology in the main species of veterinary interest.
Students should demonstrate to know all the items present in the program; in particular, students should show to be able to link the different arguments, to have a deep knowledge of the topics and to speech properly.
In particular:
MODULE OF BIOTECHNOLOGIES APPLIED TO ANIMAL PRODUCTION
This course is to give to student also the genetic basis of milk production and, in general, possible applications of biotechnologies to the improvement of the dairy-technological quality of milk and the genetic improvement of breeding animals.

MODULE OF GROWTH ENDOCRINOLOGY
This course is designed to give students knowledge of the fundamental mechanisms regulating growth and metabolic activity of domestic animals. He/she should possess knowledge of the useful biotechnology in the main species of veterinary interest.

Please refer to the Section "obiettivi formativi" of each specific module

Prerequisites

Human and animal physiology

Course unit content

The course is divided into two modules:
Biotechnology applied to animal production and Endocrinology of growth.

Module: BIOTECHNOLOGY APPLIED TO ANIMAL PRODUCTION
The first lessons concern milk and its characteristics with particular interest to physical-chemical, biochemical and genetic characteristics of proteins.
traceability f products of animal origin is the second part of the course.
The last lessons are about the genetic improvement, QTL and marker assisted selection.

MODULE: GROWTH ENDOCRINOLOGY
The course begins with fetal programming lessons in relation to the improvement of production performance in livestock species. The core of the course covers the endocrine system with reference to the
main metabolic hormones (natural and synthetic hormones). The final lectures concern the rumen and the manipulation of the flora/fauna rumen.

Full programme

Module of “Biotecnology applied to Animal Productions:
Milk: production and basic characteristics; milk structure: the soluble phase, the colloidal system, emulsified substances; milk proteins: physico-chemical, biochemical and genetic (haplotypes) aspects; casein micellar structure and milk coagulation; genetic polymorphism of milk proteins: methods for the identification of genetic variants; effects of protein variants (single locus and haplotypes) on dairy-technological and nutritional properties of milk; k-casein polymorphism of bovine milk: methodological approach for the identification and quantification in milk of the B variant; application of biotechnology to milk production: biotechnology and mastitis, biotechnology and milk adulteration; traceability of animal products; genetic improvement, QTL and marker assisted selection
Module of “ Endocrinology of growth”: Fetal programming and improvement of production performance in livestock species
Use and effects of synthetic hormones in farm animals.
Growth Hormone: characteristics, actions. Use of bST.
The glucocorticoids: characteristics and actions. Use and effects of synthetic hormones in farm animals.
Catecholamines: characteristics and actions.
Basics on rumen physiology. Rumen manipulation

Bibliography

Module of “Biotecnology applied to Animal Productions: ALAIS C.: Scienza del latte - principi di tecnologia del latte e derivati. Ed. Tecniche Nuove, Milano,2000
FOX P.F., McSWEENEY P.: Advanced dairy chemistry. Vol. 1 e Vol. 2. Ed. Kluwer Academic, London.
Scientific papers


Module of “Endocrinology of growth”: Sherwood, Klandorf & Yancey "Fisiologia degli animali - dai geni agli organismi" Ed. Zanichelli
Swenson & Reece "Fisiologia deghli aniamli domestici" ed. Idelson-Gnocchi
Scientific papers

Teaching methods

Ex cathedra lectures, seminars, practical activities with some time dedicated to deepening and discussion.
Computer slides, lab instruments, scientific papers that are provided to the students during the course. Slides of the lessons are given to the students at the end of the course.

In case of the persistence of the health emergency, the course will be held through lectures to Students either in the classroom (“in presenza”) or in synchronous-streaming (“in telepresenza”) on the Teams platform. Therefore, the opportunity of Student/Teacher interaction will be preserved both face to face and remotely, by the simultaneous use of the Teams platform.
Lectures will be supported by slide presentations, which will be available to students on the Elly platform (https://elly2020.medicina.unipr.it).

Assessment methods and criteria

Final oral examination. Students should demonstrate to know all the items present in the program; in particular, students should show to be able to link the different arguments, to have a deep knowledge of the topics and to speech properly.
The exam will be considered as passed if the student demonstrates that has sufficient knowledge of the arguments that have been treated during the course.
In case of the persistence of the health emergency, the exams will be conducted remotely, as follows:
remote oral questions, through the Teams platform (guide http://selma.unipr.it/).
Students with SLD / BSE must first contact Le Eli-che: support for students with disabilities, D.S.A., B.E.S. (https://sea.unipr.it/it/servizi/le-eli-che-supporto-studenti-con-disabilita-dsa-bes)

Other information

9 examination sessions are scheduled throughout the academic year, as reported on ESSE3 platform website. 5 more sessions are scheduled for so called "fuori corso e ripetenti" students. A minimun of 14 days is required between two subsequent examination sessions. The examining board consists of at least two teachers