Animal Sciences

Overview

The Animal Sciences program from University of Maryland does not offer the non-thesis option. Faculty research interests include:

• Cell, molecular and developmental biology studies, gene expression of the neuroendocrine system during growth and development, molecular genetics of metal and heme homeostasis in animals, maintenance of pluripotency and cell lineage determination in early embryos and embryonic stem cells, regulation of gene expression during embryonic patterning, neuro- and reproductive endocrinology in avian species, and virology, immunology and microbial pathogenesis of significance to animal agriculture;

• Nutrition and intermediary metabolism of ruminants and non-ruminants, regulation of milk fat production in dairy cattle, modeling for nutrient management, nutrient management in avian and other monogastric species, including forage utilization in horses; nutritional immunology, nutrient sensing, metabolic homeostasis, companion and exotic animal nutrition;

• Aquaculture related fish physiology and cryopreservation of germ cells, and;

• Application of computational and systems biology to quantitative genetics, genomics, epigenetics, selection theory and breeding for the improvement of domestic animals and conservation genetics.

Facilities and Special Resources

The Department of Animal and Avian Sciences and the nearby Gudelsky Veterinary Center housing the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, have extensive facilities consisting of faculty research laboratories, animal holding areas, a campus farm, aquaculture facility and outlying research farms. Additionally, the department maintains a teaching computer laboratory with 30 computers.