Researchers foster ideas for large animal studies

Scientific and medical experts are considering possible projects for the forthcoming Large Animal Research and Imaging Facility.

The £25 million establishment will support research ranging from the laboratory study of infectious diseases and gene editing through to advanced medical imaging, surgery and critical care. 

This research will inform improvements both in the health and well-being of livestock, including sheep, pigs, cattle and poultry, and in the treatment and prevention of human diseases.

The Roslin event brings together scientists and clinicians from various academic disciplines and departments across the University of Edinburgh and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC). These will include experts in medical and veterinary clinical sciences, imaging, genetics and genome editing, and in animal behaviour and welfare. 

Research undertaken at the LARIF will seek to build on existing studies of large animals at The Roslin Institute. These include a sheep model for the human genetic disorder Batten disease, and studies into the biology of beneficial welfare in pigs.

The facility offers scope for research using medical imaging technologies such as CT and MRI scanning in large animals including pigs, sheep, cattle and horses. Researchers hope that the LARIF will enable unprecedented insights into animal and human health and reflect the links between animal, human and environmental health.

LARIF is co-funded by the University of Edinburgh and Innovate UK through the Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock (CIEL). The workshop is supported by the Wellcome Trust Institute Strategic Support Fund.

Source: The Roslin Institute