The seven students from around the UK will spend the next three years writing and researching various projects with their outputs being of benefit to Aviagen and the poultry industry. These research projects cover genetic and veterinary topics. The genetic projects include investigations into resistance to salmonella infection, antimicrobial peptides and their role in innate disease resistance, genetic basis of ascites resistance, and use of feeding behaviour in selection programmes. In the veterinary area investigations into Mareks disease and Entro-like viruses are underway.

John Ralph, Aviagen's Genomics Project Manager, says; "These studentships will allow Aviagen to gain a greater understanding of the issues that the poultry industry faces. These learnings will then be of benefit to our customers through the support of the technical team and offers the potential to enhance our breeding efforts to deliver further improvements in our products. "