Mississippi State University Animal & Dairy Sciences

Calling all alumni...I am looking for some video profiles for use in a class...or two...or maybe three :)

Please record a video 2 minutes or less (if your work is in the background, that is great!) and answer the following questions:
1) Who are you?
2) What do you do?
3) What advice do you have for a student who might want your career?

Send video to [email protected]

Thank you in advance!

📣 Research Roundup Thursday 🔬

Highlighting our work presented at the Southern Section Animal Science Meetings.

Himani Joshi is a Ph.D. student under Dr. Peixin Fan and her research is titled "Microbes in our gut influence brain chemistry, regulating key neurochemicals like serotonin, GABA, and glutamate, shaping how we think, feel, and behave."

Ruminants like cattle have a specialized stomach compartment called a rumen housing trillions of microbes that break down tough plant fibers through fermentation, something monogastric animals can't do. Despite their crucial role, the impact of rumen microbes on rumen-brain communication remains largely unexplored.

In our latest study, we cultured rumen fluid samples collected from mix-breed Angus steers in vitro for 48 hours and detected the presence of neurotransmitters like gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate, acetylcholine, tryptamine, and precursors 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and tryptophan using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. We found the concentrations of important neurotransmitters, i.e., GABA (an inhibitory neurotransmitter responsible for regulating anxiety, pain, etc.) and glutamate (an excitatory neurotransmitter responsible for mood and memory) gradually increased after the first 24 hours. Besides, specific microbial species, i.e., Helcococcus sueciensis and Odoribacter splanchnicus, showed significant positive correlations with GABA and glutamate concentrations, suggesting varied capacity of rumen microbial species in synthesizing neurotransmitters. Further studies are needed to investigate whether and how neuroactive compounds produced by rumen microbes influence the central nervous system by activating vagal afferents embedded in the rumen.

📣 Research Roundup Thursday 🔬

Highlighting our work presented at the Southern Section Animal Science Meetings.

Maxwell Mkunga is a Ph.D. student under Dr. Leyla Rios and his research is titled "Preliminary Results of Manual vs LiDAR Scan Measurements of Carcass Traits in Bovines: A Comparison"

Precise carcass measurement is crucial for evaluating meat yield and quality. While traditional manual methods are accurate, they can be time-consuming. Emerging technologies like LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) offer a fast, non-contact alternative. Widely used in self-driving cars, drone-based mapping, and livestock measurement, LiDAR generates 3D scans that enhance traceability and data accuracy. Maxwell’s study compared manual and LiDAR measurements of carcass dimensions and found no significant difference, underscoring LiDAR's potential as a reliable, efficient tool in meat science.

During Fall 2024, Animal Science students at Mississippi State University participated in goat unit lab sessions at MAFES H.H. Leveck Animal Research Center, motivated by the high volume of students in the class. The hands-on activities and talks covered various goat management topics. A survey analyzed satisfaction and practicality, revealing high ratings for relevance, usefulness, and applicability. No significant associations were found between gender/ background and satisfaction/practicality. More surveys will be conducted across years to further improve these practical experiences.

📣 Research Roundup Thursday 🔬

Highlighting our work presented at the Southern Section Animal Science Meetings.

Larry Leon is a Ph.D. student under Dr. Leyla Rios and his research is titled "Preliminary Study on Animal Science Students Experiences with Practical Goat Management Sessions"

During Fall 2024, Animal Science students at Mississippi State University participated in goat unit lab sessions at MAFES H.H. Leveck Animal Research Center, motivated by the high volume of students in the class. The hands-on activities and talks covered various goat management topics. A survey analyzed satisfaction and practicality, revealing high ratings for relevance, usefulness, and applicability. No significant associations were found between gender/ background and satisfaction/practicality. More surveys will be conducted across years to further improve these practical experiences.

📣 Research Roundup Thursday 🔬

Highlighting our work presented at the Southern Section Animal Science Meetings.

Larry Leon is a Ph.D. student working with Dr. Leyla Rios. His research is titled "Analysis of Seasonal, S*x, and Age Group Effects on Weight and Parasitic Load in a Spanish goat herd in Mississippi".

Spanish goats, introduced in the 1500s and valued for meat, are primarily raised in the southeastern US. This study evaluated the impact of season, s*x, and age on 24 registered Spanish goats over a year at MAFES H.H. Leveck Animal Research Center. Significant effects of season and age were found on body weight, with winter and spring weights lower than autumn, and summer weights higher. Females had lower nematode f***l egg counts than males. Spring showed the highest coccidia oocyst counts, while adults had lower counts than young goats. Season, s*x, and age significantly influenced FAMACHA© scores and body condition scores. These results offer valuable insights for optimizing Spanish goat management.

📣 Research Roundup Thursday 🔬

Highlighting our work presented at the Southern Section Animal Science Meetings

Libby Durst is an extension associate working with Dr. Brandi Karisch.

Calving season is a critical time of year that can elicit headaches and heartbreak from even the most seasoned beef producers. To address this topic, the MSU Beef Extension Team developed a Beef Cattle Calving School program featuring presentations and demonstrations by veterinarians from the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine and Extension specialists. The day-long workshop was held in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences on May 17, 2024, with topics including reproductive anatomy and calving stages, dystocia prevention, providing assistance at calving, newborn calf management, and injuries and diseases associated with calving. After the course, the participants were provided with an evaluation to rate topics and speakers, ascertain their anticipated economic benefit of implementing strategies from the workshop, and to what they attribute these benefits. Demographic information, suggestions for improvement, and the most important takeaway from the course were also gained from the evaluation. Overall, the calving school was well received with positive impact encouraging the implementation of further programming in this subject area.

Next up is our inaugural CALS Hall of Fame Graduate Student, Cierra Clayton. Cierra is a M.S. student under the direction of Dr. Marcus McGee and is about half way through her program of study, so we are honored to get to keep her around for another year or so.

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences began a tradition of naming a Hall of Fame student. Animal and Dairy Sciences is proud to honor Alexandra Kuhn as the inaugural undergraduate recipient for this year. Alexandra left an impression on many of our faculty and we cannot wait to see where life takes her.

📣 Research Roundup Thursday 🔬

Highlighting our work presented at the Southern Section Animal Science Meetings

Dr. Hala Eldaous is a postdoctoral associate working with Dr. Caleb Lemley. Her research is titled "Integrated fetal testicular transcriptomic and epigenomic profiles during maternal nutrient restriction with dietary melatonin intervention"

Our objective is to investigate the transcriptomic and epigenomic characteristics of fetal testicular tissue following maternal food restriction and melatonin administration. Reproductive development, herd genetics, and epigenetics are contingent upon fetal development. Maternal dietary restrictions in cattle may influence fetal te**is development and subsequent offspring fertility. Numerous studies have linked genetic instability to disturbances in circadian rhythms, including epigenetic alterations to melatonin, a crucial regulator. Our findings indicated a robust correlation between DNA methylation and the RNA transcriptome in instances of maternal undernutrition, significantly impacting fetal testicular development from mid to late gestation. Moreover, dietary melatonin supplementation in nutrient-restricted dams may affect fetal development as epigenetic and transcriptomic regulators.

📣 Research Roundup Thursday 🔬

Highlighting our work presented at the Sourhern Section Animal Science Meetings

Dr. Serge Leugoue Kameni is a postdoctoral associate working with Dr. Jean Feugang.

In the quest for improved precision agriculture and advancing reproductive biotechnology, our latest study explores the metabolomic profiles of boar semen artificial insemination (AI) doses unveiling pivotal insights into s***m biology. By leveraging high-performance liquid chromatography and bioinformatics, we identified distinct metabolic signatures in semen doses with varying abilities to survive liquid storage at 17ºC for 7 days. Metabolites linked to amino acid and energy metabolism emerge as promising biomarkers for s***m preservation, paving the way for enhanced semen storage techniques. This research marks significant progress in optimizing productivity in the swine industry.

ADS faculty (Peixin Fan, Jessica Halfen, and Christy Bratcher) had the opportunity to visit our colleagues on the coast (Barbara Roqueto dos Reis and Holley Muraco) the last few days. The rain kept Dr. Muraco from getting to take us out for sample collection on her new ride but we at least got to hang out on the boat and visit with her captain’s wildlife rehab patient. Today the rain kept us out of the patures and under the working facilities at White Sands Unit, but we did have the chance to visit the South MS Branch Exp. Station and USDA facilities there. It’s great getting the opportunity to interact with our colleagues face to face and meet new potential collaborators while making friends along the way.

📣 Research Roundup Thursday 🔬

Continuing to highlight work presented at the Southern Section Animal Science Meetings.

Jalyn Hawkins is a Ph.D. Student under Dr. Peixin Fan.

Colostrum does more than nourish newborn calves – it may shape their gut health for life!

In our latest study, we identified a select group of bacterial species that are shared between colostrum and calf gut samples up to 30 days after birth. Using long-read 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and untargeted metabolomics, we found strong links between some of these shared microbes and unique microbial metabolites, like 3-phenyllactic acid and indole derivatives, that could potentially influence calf growth and health.

These findings suggest that certain colostrum microbes “stick around” and may support long-term gut development in calves. Uncovering these microbial signatures could help boost colostrum quality and improve calf care from day one.