A student has made a breakthrough which will save turkeys from ‘blackhead disease’ – and it’s expected to lower the price of Christmas dinner.
Leila Chang built an organoid, a collection of growth samples, to create the scientific discovery.
It allowed her to test and experiment on digestion and immune defence.
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She, along with Yuhua Farnell, an instructional associate professor in the Department of Poultry Science, found a way to preserve the organoids for long-term use.
In turn, this will create a sustainable, animal-free platform for experiments on turkey intestinal health.
And their first target is blackhead disease, reports Need To Know.
The illness is caused by a tiny parasite called histomonas meleagridis.
It attacks the turkey’s gut and spreads quickly, resulting in mortality rates of up to 80% – and more costly Christmas dinners.
Barns are emptied, and farms can lose hundreds of thousands in a matter of days.
Leila Chang said: “This is just one step forward that can help disease management for the industry as a whole.
“Science has given me a new perspective on the turkey we eat at Thanksgiving [and] I feel like I have a better understanding of the industry and the people behind it.”
The research was conducted at Texas A&M university, with the Department of Poultry Science.
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