Research Activities at the Faculty
The projects conducted by the Faculty of Veterinary
Medicine focus on the following topics:
- Products of animal origin and consumer protection
- Preventive veterinary medicine
- Clinical veterinary medicine
- Ecological animal husbandry
Consumer protection
Within the Faculty, various groups are working on
the problems of consumer protection by studying the influences of
modern animal production and trying to establish diagnostic systems
for ensuring and enhancing the quality of meat, milk and eggs. The
focus is on (i) zoonotic diseases and their transmission through
the food chain; (ii) development and validation of diagnostic methods
for epidemiological investigations of zoonotic diseases; (iii) quality
of organic food and consumer protection; (iv) detection of specified
risk material in meat products with regard to transmissible encephalopathies.
Most of these investigations are within the frameworks of national
and international research cooperation.
- Expression analysis of Campylobacter jejuni strains - identification
of survival strategies [Institute of Food Hygiene]
- Investigations on the occurrence of Toxoplasma gondii, Yersinia
enterolytica, Salmonella and Campylobacter spp. in pork from conventional
and organic farms [Institute of Food Hygiene]
- Ozone treatment to diminish Salmonella load on eggs [Institute
of Food Hygiene]
- Detection and avoidance of contamination with the infectious
agent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) during slaughtering
[Institute of Food Hygiene in collaboration with the Institute
of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, the Institute
of Pathology and the Saxonian Analytical Office for Veterinary
and Public Health]
- Application of electric stunting in slaughtering cattle [Institute
of Food Hygiene]
- Development and validation of rapid procedures for the detection
of heavy metal burden in food of animal origin [Institute of Food
Hygiene]
- Food histological and immunohistological procedures using image
analysis in food and meat hygiene [Institute of Food Hygiene]
- Mathematical models for predicting food spoilage [Institute
of Food Hygiene],
- New strategies of zoonosis control in food producing animals
by orally given antibodies [Institute of Food Hygiene]
- Epidemiology, diagnosis, metaphylaxis und therapy of mastitis
in dairy cows with regard to consumer´s health protection
[Large Animal Clinic for Theriogenology and Ambulatory Services
in coorperation with industrial partners]
Preventive veterinary medicine
Within preventive veterinary medicine, both paraclinical
and basic studies are conducted. Most of these investigations are
done in national and international collaboration, and many are supported
by grants of national and international organizations. Some of the
projects are entitled as follows:
- The role of fatty acids and antioxidants in prophylaxis and
therapy of diseases of domestic animals [Institute of Biochemistry]
- Pathobiochemistry of canine atopia [Institute of Biochemistry]
- Glucocorticoid hormone programming in early life and its impact
on adult health [Institute of Biochemistry; German Primate Centre;
MRC-Edinburgh, UK]
- Diagnosis and therapy for cervical ripening during birth [Institute
of Biochemistry; Howard Florey Insitute, Australia]
- Non-invasive methods for reproductive cycle and pregnancy monitoring
in zoo and wild animals [Institute of Biochemistry; Department
of Small Animal Medicine; Large Animal Clinic for Internal Medicine;
Zoo of Leipzig; Zoo of Halle]
- Reproductive monitoring in farm and small animals [Institute
of Biochemistry; Department of Small Animal Medicine; Large Animal
Clinic for Internal Medicine; Faculty of Agriculture, University
of Halle]
- Abort induction in the bitch [Institute of Biochemistry; Institute
of Reproductive Medicine, Hannover College of Veterinary Medicine]
- The pathophysiological significance of the regulation of adrenergic
and muscarinic receptors [Institute of Pharmacology, Pharmacy
and Toxicology in collaboration with Leipzig Heart Cardiac Centre,
Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Halle-Wittenberg]
- Characterization of carrier proteins for xenobiotics [Institute
of Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Toxicology]
- The adaptation and regulation of transport processes in the
ruminant forestomach [Institute of Physiology in collaboration
with the Institute of Physiology at Hannover College of Veterinary
Medicine, the Physiology Centre at the University of Göttingen
and the Forskningcenter Foulom, Tjele (Denmark)],
- (Patho-)physiology of the enteric nervous system [Institute
of Physiology in collaboration with the University of Weihenstephan]
- Influence of various mediators on diarrhoea in pigs [Institute
of Physiology]
- Molecular mechanisms of persistent infection in Borrelia burgdorferi
[BBZ Junior Research Group "Molecular medicine of infectious
diseases" at Institute of Immunology in collaboration with
College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA,
and with Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University
of Jerusalem, Israel]
- Borellia burgdorferi specific antibody levels in dogs receiving
vaccines according to the standard or to an alternative immunization
regimen [BBZ Junior Research Group "Molecular medicine of
infectious diseases" at Institute of Immunology]
- Role of interleukin-12 family members in immunity against Salmonella
Enteritidis and Cryptococcus neoformans [Institute of Immunology
in collaboration with institutes and clinics of the Medical and
Veterinary Faculty of the University of Leipzig, Westfälische
Wilhelms-University, Research Centre Borstel, University of Cape
Town (South Africa) and DNAX Research Institute Shering Plough,
CA (USA)]
- Analysis of interleukin-4 and of interleukin-13 in immunity
to Cryptococcus neoformans using complete and macrophage-specific
gene-deficient mice [Institute of Immunology in collaboration
with Westfälische Wilhelms - University, University of Cape
Town (South Africa) and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New
York, USA]
- Endogenous and exogenous mediators in diarrhoea of pigs [Institute
of Physiology]
- Infections with protozoa: Epidemiology, prophylaxis, treatment,
and diagnosis with serological and molecular biological tests
[Institute of Parasitology in cooperation with many national and
international partners]
- Faunistic and biological/epidemiological investigations into
parasites of various domestic, wildlife and zoo animal species
including fish [Institute of Parasitology]
- Epidemiology and control of immunosuppressive virus infections
of commercial poultry [Institute for Virology in collaboration
with Veterinary and Agricultural Research Centre, Brussels (Belgium),
National Veterinary and Food Research Ageny (AFFSA), Ploufragan,
France, Department of Agriculture of Northern Ireland, Belfast
(Northern Ireland), Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh
(Bangladesh) and others],
- Epidemiology and control of avian polyomavirus (APV) and psittacine
beak and feather disease virus (PBFDV) infections [Institute for
Virology in collaboration with Institute for Poultry Diseases,
University of Giessen, University of Hohenheim, and others]
- Mechanisms of neutralization of infectious bursal disease virus
(IBDV) [Institute for Virology in collaboration with SFB 610:
Variation in Protein Conformation: Cellbiological and Pathological
Relevance (Leipzig-Halle)]
- Investigations on epidemiology, clinical outcome and pathogenesis
of natural Borna disease virus infection [Institute for Virology
in collaboration with Large Animals Clinic of Internal Medicine]
- Pathomorphology and -physiology of retina degeneration induced
by Borna disease virus [Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology
in collaboration with several institutes of the University Leipzig]
Clinical veterinary medicine
The topic on clinical veterinary medicine does not
only integrates the clinical but also the theoretical institutions.
Collaboration with other national and international groups allows
to elucidate various diseases known to be important both in veterinary
and human medicine. Various diagnostic procedures and therapy plans
are developed and evaluated. Work is focused on the following topics:
- Molecular and functional characterization of resistence mechanisms
in canaine mammary cancer [Institute of Physiology]
- Diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in cardiopulmonal and
vascular diseases of dogs, cats, birds, and reptiles [Department
of Small Animal Medicine in collaboration with several institutes
of University Leipzig, Heart Centre, Leipzig, Institute for Animal
Breeding, Agricultural Faculty University Halle]
- MRI and other imaging techniques in the diagnostic of neurological
disorders and tumours [Department of Small Animal Medicine in
collaboration with several institutes of University Leipzig]
- Reconstructive surgery in the stifle and hip joint [Department
of Small Animal Medicine in collaboration with Chirurgical Clinic
University Zürich]
- Modern radiooncological and chemotherapeutical concepts in tumour
treatment [Department of Small Animal Medicine in collaboration
with several institutes of University Leipzig and Department of
Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals of the University Utrecht
(NL)]
- Investigations on the mechanisms of tumour regression in canine
oral papillomatosis [Institute for Virology in collaboration with
Department of Small Animal Medicine]
- Examination of the influence of husbandry and breeding on animal
health of poultry and pet birds [Department of Small Animal Medicine
- Clinic for Birds and Reptiles]
- Examination of bioavailability and tolerance of various anti-infective
agents in poultry and pet birds [Department of Small Animal Medicine
- Clinic for Birds and Reptiles]
- Diagnosis, aetiology, pathogenesis, therapy, prognosis and prophylaxis
of reproduction disorders in horses and dogs [Institute of Pathology]
- Collaborative studies on endocrinological diseases, hepatic
diseases, cardiovascular diseases [Institute of Pathology]
- Minimal invasive ultrasonography, transcutaneous ultrasonography,
minimal invasive surgery, thoracoscopy in large animals species;
anaesthesia in horses [Large Animal Clinic for Surgery]
- Ultrasonography of the vessels and deep inguinal lymph nodes
in the femoral triangle of the horse [Large Animal Clinic for
Surgery]
- Orthopaedic problems in the horse [Large Animal Clinic for Surgery]
- Three-dimensional sonographic imaging at the stifle joint of
horses [Large Animal Clinic for Surgery]
- Scintigraphic and MRI investigations of the standing equine
digit [Large Animal Clinic for Surgery in collaboration with Tierklinik
Bargteheide]
- The role of tumorsuppression gene p53 in the angiogenesis of
pancreas carcinoma [Large Animal Clinic for Surgery; Department
of Experimental Surgery, University of Heidelberg]
- The effect of vasoactive substances on the regional CO2 content
of the intestinal mucosa during endotoxemia [Large Animal Clinic
for Surgery]
- Studies on mycotoxins in gilts and sows with reduced fertility
[Large Animal Clinic for Theriogenology and Ambulatory Services]
- Establishment / improvement of reproductive performance in prepubertal
and pubertal gilts and sows [Large Animal Clinic for Theriogenology
and Ambulatory Services]
- Transfer of embryos from prepubertal bovines: Investigations
on the effect of follicle diameter on the embryo rate and the
transfer results [Large Animal Clinic for Theriogenology and Ambulatory
Services]
Ecological animal husbandry
Within ecological animal husbandry, the Faculty is
investigating the legal requirements of veterinarian in dealing
with the consequences of animal husbandry. Work is being conducted
on the following projects:
- Effect of alternative growth promoters on performance and health
[Institute of Animal Nutrition, Nutrition Diseases and Dietetics]
- Studies on the efficacy of huminfeed on broiler chicks [Institute
of Animal Nutrition, Nutrition Diseases and Dietetics]
- Interactions between Senduramycin and Tiamulin in broiler chicks
[Institute of Animal Nutrition, Nutrition Diseases and Dietetics]
- Studies on the tolerance of fumaric acid in broiler chicks [Institute
of Animal Nutrition, Nutrition Diseases and Dietetics]
Additional topics
In addition to the topics surrounding veterinary medicine,
studies are also being conducted which have an impact on human medicine.
These studies are dealing with:
- Modification of glia-neuron interaction [Department of Anatomy,
Histology and Embryology in collaboration with IZKF]
- Hypoxia and vascularisation of the retina as CNS model [Department
of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology in collaboration with IZKF]
- Ischemic human myocardial diseases: New therapeutic approaches
in the animal pig model [Institute of Pathology in collaboration
with Heart Centre, Leipzig]
- Drug-targeting against experimentally induced ß-amyloid-plaques
[Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology]
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