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New technology to reduce number of chickens used in research
"Discovering a way to easily freeze avian reproductive cells and subsequently bring back a genetically diverse flock will help the preservation of endangered breeds of poultry".
Surrogacy method to support the creation of a new chicken biobank.

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh are seeking to develop new technology that will limit the number of chickens used in research.

The approach involves freezing chicken reproductive cells and using sterile surrogates to hatch the required breeds. Researchers say this will ultimately support the formation of a new biobank, maintain genetic diversity and prevent problems with inbreeding.

The project is being conducted by researchers at The Roslin Institute and is being funded by the National Centre for the Replacement Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs).

Dr Mike McGrew from the Roslin Institute said: “Discovering a way to easily freeze avian reproductive cells and subsequently bring back a genetically diverse flock will help the preservation of endangered breeds of poultry, increase food security from disease outbreaks and reduce the numbers of animals used in research.”

In the project, researchers aim to optimise how to freeze reproductive cells by studying three breeds of chicken currently used in research. They then hope to demonstrate that a single, surrogate chicken can lay eggs that come from many individual donor birds.

Scientists say this will validate the creation of biobanks for flocks of poultry for research purposes, which will limit the number of animals bred for use in this way. The novel method could also help to preserve rare chicken breeds.

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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.