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New animal and human health research facility opens in Edinburgh
Left to right: Professor Jonathan Secki (University of Edinburgh), Dr Ian Campbell (Innovate UK), Professor John Loughhead (Dept. of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) and Lyndsay Chapman (CIEL).

Facility will study how to produce livestock that are genetically more resistant to disease

A new £25 million facility designed to boost research into livestock and human health has been opened at the University of Edinburgh.

The Large Animal Research Imaging Facility (LARIF) will research how to produce livestock that are genetically more resistant to disease. Based at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies’ Easter Bush Campus, the facility will also research and develop improved vaccines for animals.

Furthermore, scientists at the facility will safeguard human health by helping to tackle food-borne infections and developing strategies against antimicrobial resistance.

The LARIF leverages state-of-the-art technology to offer in-depth studies into the health and wellbeing of all major farm livestock, including surgical, gene-editing and infection containment facilities.

Also housed at the LARIF is the Wellcome Trust-funded Critical Care Laboratory for Large Animals, which supports the study of large animal biology with all the resources of a human hospital.


European and RCVS-registered specialists in veterinary anaesthesia will provide 24-hour care for the animals involved in studies in the facility. Advanced, onsite-medical imaging equipment will also allow studies into degenerative and neurological diseases, body composition and the anatomy of large animals.


The facility was officially opened by Professor John Loughhead, Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
 He said that agricultural technologies are important in supporting the agriculture industry to cut its emissions and develop sustainable farming practices.

“The LARIF illustrates the positive effects of successful collaboration between academia, industry and the Government in spreading knowledge and expertise while developing the technologies of the future,” he added.

Besides seeking to further understand livestock diseases, researchers at LARIF will also investigate human conditions. This means that treatments developed in large animals are more likely to be successful in people than those tested using rats and mice, helping to reduce the number of animals used overall.


"The LARIF is a unique and world-leading facility that significantly enhances our ability to study human and animal health,” said Professor David John Argyle, head of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. “Taking this multidisciplinary approach is a key focus for the University and can lead to significant advances in medicine, veterinary medicine and agricultural science.”

Image (C) University of Edinburgh.

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.