The renowned Poultry Science Association (PSA) recently bestowed their highest honor upon Hy-Line’s Dr. Janet Fulton. Dr. Fulton was awarded with a Poultry Science Fellowship for her life’s work with poultry genetics, the majority of which related to her work with the chicken genome during her 28 years directing Hy-Line’s molecular biology laboratory. Dr. Fulton was recognized at the PSA’s annual conference in Louisville, Kentucky, USA in July, 2024. 

A fellowship is a type of ‘hall of fame’ honor for significant contributions to the advancement of poultry science. Dr. Fulton’s molecular biology laboratory has been an essential part of the selection process of Hy-Line varieties, making them the most productive and efficient laying hens in the world.

Also during the PSA’s annual meeting, Dr. Anna Wolc, Hy-Line International genomic scientist, was recognized by the American Egg Board for her part of a recently published study. The study focused on the importance of the egg cuticle for bacterial growth mitigation within eggs and the effect of a healthy cuticle in promoting higher rate of hatchability. Dr. Wolc identified that cuticle coverage is a heritable trait, meaning that genetic selection can be used to improve the cuticle coverage. This, therefore, improves resistance of eggs to bacterial contamination, improving food safety and also improving hatch rates in the case of fertile eggs. 

Hy-Line is proud of the achievements of these researchers, as they work to improve the overall egg supply chain to benefit the end consumer of eggs.