Research Institute for Biology of Farm Animals

Research Institute for Biology of Farm Animals - a Foundation under Civil Law of the Land Mecklenburg-Pomerania

On January, 29, 1993, the Research Institute for Biology of Farm Animals (FBN), was set up in the legal form of a foundation under civil law of the Land Mecklenburg-Pomerania. Its location in Dummerstorf and Rostock can look upon a tradition of more than 50 years of continuous research on farm animals. The reputed "Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institute for Animal Breeding" was founded in Dummerstorf as early as 1939. In 1952 the German Academy for Agriculture has revived the tradition by establishing the "Institute for Research on Animal Breeding", in 1953 the "Oskar-Kellner-Institute for Animal Nutrition", Rostock, followed. Both institutes have joined forces in 1970 forming the "Research Center for Animal Production, Dummerstorf-Rostock". Even though the FBN is not a legal successor of these former institutions, it could take over major parts of their real estates, technical equipment and human reseach potential.

The Institute and Its Mandate

The Institute is a member of the Science Assocciation Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz (WGL), a task group of extra-universitarian research institutions in Germany. It is financed equally by the German Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Land Mecklenburg-Pomerania. The FBN is supervised by a board of curators with executive functions and a scientific advisory committee with consultative functions. A director coordinates, manages and administers the institute. According to its founding statutes, the FBN is concerned with basic research on farm animals. Its ambitious goals regarding economically as well as ecologically sound, sustainable animal production demand an interdisciplinary approach. Therefore, scientists with expertise in agricultural sciences, biology, veterinary medicine, physics and mathematics cooperate in investigating the principles of genetics, reproduction, nutrition, behaviour, growth and development. Such research is considered a prerequisite for innovative, modern agriculture. The FBN can provide housing facilities for 450 livestock units (cattle, pig, sheep, goat, horse). An experimental slaughterhouse is on site. As an alternative to experimetal animals, In-Vitro-techniques are applied wherever feasible. The FBN publishes the internationally renowned ´Archives of Animal Breeding´.

The Research Units and their Scientific Program

The FBN has six research Units and cooperates with 28 national and 61 international research institutes in 23 countries. Thus, most projects cannot be allocated completely to a single research unit. Most research entails the participation of several units of the institute as well as of external scientists.

Research Unit: Genetics and Biometry
Head: PD Dr. Norbert Reinsch (Tel: +49-38208/68 900), reinsch@fbn-dummerstorf.de

· Biological relationships in animal populations under selection
· Planning, modelling, and analysis of structural and functional genome analysis
· Animal breeding plans, estimation of variance components and breeding values
· Modelling of biological processes, experimental designs and analysis

Unit: Molecular Biology
Acting Head: Prof. Dr. Hans-Martin Seyfert (Tel: +49-38208/68 700), seyfert@fbn-dummerstorf.de

· Mapping and characterization of genomic regions affecting performance in cattle and mouse using segregating families
· Elucidation of the chromosome organization of the genome
· Structural analyses of candidate genes for significant performances in farm animal breeding
· Analysis of the regulation of selected genes that influence the performance of farm animals

Unit: Reproductive Biology
Head: PD Dr. Wilhelm Kanitz (Tel: +49-38208/68 750), wkanitz@fbn-dummerstorf.de

· Investigation of follicular dynamics, follicular and oocyte maturation
· Investigation of early embryonic development with special reference to interaction between the embryo and the maternal enviroment

Unit: Behavioural Physiology
Head: Prof. Dr. Gerhard Manteuffel (Tel: +49-38208/68 800), manteuff@fbn-dummerstorf.de

· Influence of ontogeny and keeping conditions on physiological reactions
· Etho-physiology of adaptive reactions and communication in farm animals
· Learning behaviour in farm animals

Unit: Muscle Biology and Growth
Head: Prof. Dr. Klaus Ender (Tel: +49-38208/68 850), ender@fbn-dummerstorf.de

· Membrane function and muscle metabolism
· Physiological and morphological basis of muscle growth
· Factors influencing nutrient accretion and meat quality

Unit: Nutritional Physiology "Oskar Kellner"
Head: PD Dr. Cornelia C. Metges (Tel: +49-38208/68 650), metges@fbn-dummerstorf.de

· Gut Physiology
· Regulatory and quantitative aspects of amino acid, protein, and energy homeostasis

Research Institute for Biology of Farm Animals
Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2
18196 Dummerstorf
Tel: +49 (0)38208 / 68 - 5
Fax: +49 (0)38208 / 68 - 602
E-Mail: fbn@fbn-dummerstorf.de

Press releases

Further Information: www.fbn-dummerstorf.de/