Improving the gut health and nutrient capture of broiler chickens through selection for innate immune function

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This programme will seek to: 1) Provide a bridge between conventional positional (QTL) and physiological candidate gene approaches to identify genes controlling variation in innate immune responses. 2) Define the extent of genetic variability in loci that influence the innate immune response of the chicken and relate this to resistance/susceptibility to Salmonella and Campylobacter, and also the impact of these variations on nutrient capture. 3) Determine the relevance in commercial broiler populations of genetic variation in immune response found in inbred research lines. 4) Provide new opportunities for selective breeding of commercial broilers for improved innate resistance to enteric disease and hence improved nutrient capture and food safety.

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