---

Supervisor:

Prof. Dr. Isabelle Ruhnke

Lab Adress:

Freie Universität Berlin, Farm Animal Clinic, Division for Poultry, Königsallee 63, D-14163 Berlin

---

Project description:

Ascaridia galli (A. galli) is commonly prevalent with up to 84 and 88% in free-range and organic laying hens, respectively (1). This project aims to determine the consequences of A. galli on the immune system of the hosting chicken with special focus on its gastrointestinal health and concurrent zoonotic pathogen Salmonella.

The doctoral researchers on Project 1 will investigate I) A. galli specific adaptive immune responses on S. Enteritidis vaccinated hens and II) the impact of A. galli on the intestinal bacterial coinfections with special focus on S. Enteritidis infections.

The research work will include an in vitro intestinal chicken model, on-farm chicken research, as well as an experimental chicken trial in state-of-the-art research facilities (Animal Centre of Resistant Infectious Diseases).

Planning, organizing, conducting hands-on research with animals will be combined with solid technical skills including mass spectrometry, fluorescence-activated cell sorting and “Next Generation Sequencing”.

The doctoral researcher will become “One Health” expert with special focus on animal experiments, investigating holistically multidisciplinary concerns regarding intestinal health.

Further reading: 1) Shifaw et al. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2021.101082; 2) Sharma et al. 2018 doi: 10.3382/ps/pex347; 3) Ruhnke et al. 2017, doi: 10.1080/03079457.2017.1330536;