The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources has announced the formation of a new Avian Biosciences Center, which will bring together resources from an array of disciplines to conduct research and communicate information in areas vital to the poultry industry.

“The University of Delaware has long had a strong presence in avian-related sciences, with outstanding basic research and a commitment to applying that knowledge to assist the region’s billion dollar poultry industry,” Robin Morgan, dean of the college, says. “We believe that by bringing together the University’s resources under one entity, with a major emphasis on partnerships and educational outreach, we will be able to extend far beyond the areas in which we are already nationally and internationally recognized.”

In announcing the new center, Morgan said the college is grateful for the support of Delaware’s congressional delegation, which has secured federal funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and to the state legislature, which has a long history of support for its poultry research efforts. She praised the lawmakers for “their understanding of a unique opportunity to move fast-forward with new research areas and their application to agriculture.”

The state of Delaware ranks seventh in the nation in broiler production, with more than 500 million pounds of broilers produced each year.

The Avian Biosciences Center will be directed by Jack Gelb, chairperson of the Department of Animal and Food Sciences, and will bring together the programs led by many researchers and scientists at several UD facilities.

Gelb says the center will focus on four general areas: avian health, which he will head; avian genomics, headed by Joan Burnside, professor of animal and food sciences; environmental compatibility, headed by Tom Sims, associate dean of the college and T.A. Baker Professor of Plant and Soil Sciences; and food safety and quality, headed by Dallas Hoover, professor of animal and food sciences.

Avian health research has “historically been a strength at UD,” Gelb says, noting the University’s immediate and decisive response to the 2004 avian influenza outbreak in commercial broilers on the Delmarva Peninsula. The University has been a leader in providing diagnostic and surveillance services to ensure poultry health.

Avian genomics is a high research priority for the college, he says, with scientists identifying genes that affect the growth and health of poultry. New discoveries are being applied to diagnose and treat disease and to enhance production.

Morgan says a major emphasis of the center will be the development of partnerships and collaborative efforts, which will continue a tradition of cooperation among UD and other universities, government agencies and industry.