Micro Nutrient Laboratory

The laboratory is established and mandated for doing research on micronutrients for animal production and reproduction. The laboratory is equipped with high throughput instruments and equipments for analyzing macro and micro minerals as well as toxic heavy metals in feeds and fodders, soil, water, animal products like meat, milk, egg, hair and skin etc. The recent research investigations carried out in the laboratory are mentioned below:

• Evaluate the micronutrients status and their dynamics in soil, water, feeds and fodders and animals
• Identification and analysis of mineral status using sensitive biochemical and molecular markers
• Assessing the bioavailability of minerals from feeds and fodders and developing chelated /nano /encapsulated minerals for improving the bioavailability of minerals in livestock and poultry birds
• Studies on metal-gene interactions in molecular mechanisms of productive and reproductive function
• Research on newer minerals for livestock feeding
• Development of cost-effective technologies on micronutrients supplementation for improving animal productive and reproductive efficiency
• Identification and nutritional evaluation of alternate feed resources for livestock feeding
• Assessing toxic heavy metals profile in soil, feeds and fodders and animal products (like milk and meat)
• Analytical support to farmers, entrepreneurs, NGOs, students for analysis of samples for minerals

Toxicology Laboratory

The laboratory is well equipped with all modern equipment for estimation of toxic elements in feeds, fodder water, soil and biological materials. The laboratory has HPLC system, thin layer chromatography facilities for estimation of toxins like the aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1 G2). Facilities also exists for estimation of fluorides, nitrate, lead and cadmium in different samples.

Feed Analysis Laboratory

The laboratory is having all the facilities for proximate principles estimation and in vitro digestibility studies. It is well equipped with automated instruments like moisture analyzer, soxtherm, Kjeltec system, rapid fiber analyzer for rapid and precise estimation of various parameters like moisture, fat, protein and fiber. The laboratory caters to analytical requirements of various on going projects and the samples from outside agencies like milk federations, commercial firms and farmers.

Rumen Biotechnology Laboratory

The laboratory is established to isolate and characterize the rumen microbes including bacteria, protozoa and rumen methanogens. The laboratory is well equipped with modern facilities such as anaerobic chamber, fluorescent microscope, PCR, qPCR, gel doc, sample concentrator, bead beater etc.

The recent research in the laboratory is outlined below:

• Isolation and characterization of rumen microbes including methanogens from the rumen
• Rumen methanogens profiling in cattle and buffalo at the country level
• Enumeration and characterization of rumen protozoa
• Microbial diversity analysis using 16s rRNA based conventional (cloning) and next generation sequencing approaches
• Human resource development by imparting Hands-on-Training

Radioisotope and Endocrinology Laboratory

The Radioisotope & Endocrinology Laboratory was established in 1998 and certified RIA Type II Laboratory and licensed by AERB(BARC), , Mumbai to handle radioisotopes up to 2 millicurie activity. The objective of the laboratory is to carter the application of radioisotopes and molecular endocrinological tools for various research projects taken up at the institute. The laboratory is focused to conduct the basic endocrine and neuroendocrine hormone dependent productive status, wellbeing in farm animals and poultry. The laboratory is well equipped with state of art facilities to carry out assays, and monitor radiological safety aspects.

The recent research investigations carried out in the laboratory are as follows:

• Over the past 25 years, the laboratory has developed and validated radio immunoassays, radio-receptor assays and enzyme immunoassays for a wide array of species and sample types.
• Protocols have been developed to improve egg production in commercial and backyard chicken by suppressing prolactin levels and by modulating the wavelength of light in poultry houses and transferred.
• Protocol has been developed to produce eggs with low lipid content and to enhance egg production beyond the productive age in commercial layer hens by feeding garlic.
• Methodologies were developed to isolate Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), Luteinizing hormone (LH) and prolactin from buffaloe pituitary gland and partially purified for development of homologous assays.
• In vitro suppression of prolactin transcription and translation in hen embryonic pituicytes by RNA interference.
• In vitro suppression of myostatin transcription and translation in broiler chicken by siRNA.
• Identification of molecular regulatory factors and modulation of corpus luteum function.
• RNAi technology for modulating hormones to improve egg and meat production in poultry.
• Effect of season and dietary energy on the neuroendocrine regulation of reproduction in farm animals.
• Biophysical translation of nutrients and bio mineralization of the egg during ovulatory cycle in domestic hen
• Regulation of the hypothalamo-hyopysio–gonadal/adrenal axes and mitochondria by phytochemicals in domestic chicken to augment egg and meat production.
• Endocrine studies on reproductive performance and fertility augmentation in deoni cattle.
• CRISPR/CAS9 guided functional analysis of genes regulating early embryonic survival in buffalo.
• Identification and characterization of gene expression in sheep endometrium in association with recognition and establishment of pregnancy.
• Cloning, characterization and expression of PGES, PGFS, FGF2, OPN, INT and COX-2 genes in sheep.
• Suppression of caprine COX-2 transcription in in vitro cultured goat endometrial cells by RNA interference.
• Delineating the effect of heat stress, nutritional stress and combined heat and nutritional stress on the expression of PGES, PGFS, COX-2, integrin, osteopontin, galactin, FGF2, iNOS, HSP70, Mx, IGF1R and serpin genes during early pregnancy in sheep endometrium.
• Elucidating the impact of heat stress on oocyte maturation and endometrial function in sheep.
• Unraveling the impact of heat stress on prostaglandin production and expression of COX-2, PGES, PGFS, integrin and galactin mRNAs in buffalo endometrial epithelial cells.
• The laboratory also provides diagnostic services to various universities and ICAR organizations at minimal cost.
• The laboratory has thrown its doors open to post graduate and doctoral students to carry out hormonal &molecular endocrinology research work to fulfil the requirement of their dissertation. A total of 30 Post graduate students have graduated from this laboratory.

Energy Metabolism Laboratory

The laboratory is established for quantifying greenhouse gas emissions from the livestock production in the country and devising cost effective and farmers’ friendly mitigation strategies for reducing the emissions. The laboratory is a state of art facility, fully equipped for quantifying in vitro and in vivo methane emission, exploring rumen microbial diversity including methanogens and feed analysis. The laboratory has international collaborations with Japan, Germany, Australia and Kenya. At present, there are two ongoing international collaborative projects entitled “ Methane emission and its mitigation (ILRI-ICAR)” & “Optimized use of feed resources for high lifetime productivity of dairy cows and consequences on methane release (Indo-German)”. An international collaborative project (Indo-Japan) on “Methane mitigation using unexplored phyto-sources in ruminants and their effect on rumen microbial diversity” has recently been accomplished with Shinshu University, Ina and National Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science. The laboratory received the funding from ICAR, DBT and DST and handling a mega project on “Estimation of methane emission under different feeding systems and development of mitigation strategies” since 2007.

The recent research and accomplishment of the laboratory are outlined below:

• Developed the state, region and district wise inventory on enteric methane emission from Indian livestock
• Developed farmers’ friendly methane ameliorative approaches using tropical tree leaves, agricultural waste, region specific phyto-sources, saponiferous material and oil
• Four patents have been filed from the laboratory claiming the anti-methanogenic properties
• Two products namely Harit Dhara (an anti-methanogenic feed supplement) and Tamarin Plus (tamarind seed husk enriched complete feed block) have been developed
• Human resource development by imparting both National and International trainings

Reproductive Physiology Laboratory

Reproductive Physiology Laboratory focuses on improving fertility in farm animals by working on novel areas such as, profiling of sperm transcripts for predicting/screening male fertility, sperm sexing by proteomic approaches, molecular markers for assessment of semen quality and cryo-susceptibility, and spermatogonial stem cell research. The laboratory is equipped with modern state of art facilities such as Computer assisted semen analyzer (CASA), Controlled rate semen bio-freezer, Phase contrast and Fluorescent microscopes, Real-time PCR, 2D Gel electrophoresis, Chemi-Documentation system, Cryotome, Histotome, Cell culture incubator, Viscometer, Small volume spectrophotometer, Nucleic acid shearing sonicator, etc., for advanced semen evaluation techniques and sperm transcriptomics, proteomic and cryopreservation studies.

Many students from IVRI-Bareilly, KVAFSU-Bidar, AAU-Assam and Jain University-Bengaluru successfully completed their Master and Doctoral research thesis work at this Laboratory. The laboratory hosts FOCARS professional attachment training for ICAR scientists and DBT-TWAS fellowship program for international scholars. Presently, many research (Post-doc, Doctoral and Master) scholars are carrying out their research work at this laboratory.

The ongoing research projects in the laboratory are:

• ICAR-National Fellow Project: Development of buffalo bull fertility diagnostic chip based on sperm transcripts signature
• DBT Project: Selective isolation of sex-specific spermatozoa in bovine using novel biomarkers identified through an integrated proteomic and genomic approach
• AICRP: Nutritional and physiological interventions for enhancing reproductive performance in animals
• Institute project: Characterization, purification and in vitro culture of spermatogonial stem cells
• DBT-RA Project: Spermatogonial stem cell cryopreservation and standardization of the ECM for stemness maintenance
• DST-WOS-A Scheme: Immuno-modulatory molecular signatures in relation to semen fertility

Animal Biotechnology Laboratory

This laboratory was established in the year 2000. The laboratory produced the first buffalo embryo using oocyte retrieved from in vitro grown preantral follicles.

Work involves following aspects:

• Cryopreservation of Preantral follicles
• Signaling pathways and Functional genomics of ruminant folliculogenesis
• Free radical scavengers mediated alteration in developmental potential of embryos in vitro
• To assess developmental potential of sex specific embryos in vitro
• Manipulation of culture condition to produced desired sex embryos in vitro
• Sex specific differences in relative expression level of genes related to embryonic development
• Identification of biomarkers of developmental competence of preantral follicle, oocyte and embryos under environmental, nutritional and metabolic stress
• Endocrine disruptors and gamete functions
• Identification of gene expression pathways in gametes-embryo-oviduct-uterus communication in ruminants
• Endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial stress signaling in oocytes and embryos

Molecular Biology Laboratory

The Molecular Biology Laboratory of the institute was established in 1998 with the vision of conducting research in the critical and unresolved areas of reproductive biology, physiology, biotechnology and allied subjects in domestic animal species using advanced molecular biology tools and platforms. The laboratory has state of the art facilities for working in the area of protein, nucleic acid, recombinant protein production in prokaryotic and eukaryotic host and other in vitro experiments. The laboratory is equipped with ultracentrifuge, refrigerated and non-refrigerated centrifuges, ultrasonic processor, tissue homogenizer, gel electrophoresis system for proteins and nucleic acids separation, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis system, imaging systems for chromogenic, fluorescence and radio-labelled gels, fast pressure liquid chromatography system, CO2 incubators, Biological Safety cabinet, Laminar Air flow system, Inverted Fluorescence Microscope, DIC and fluorescent compound microscopes, shaker incubators, gradient and real-time PCR systems, spectrophotometer, micro-plate reader for small volume quantification, heavy duty Water purification system etc. This laboratory has on-going and envisaged research focuses as well as work in collaboration with intra and inter-institutional projects. Following are the current interest of research in the laboratory:

• Development of pregnancy early pregnancy biomarkers and diagnostic assay in buffalo
• Role of exosomes in pregnancy signalling and related events
• Characterizing protein, peptides and microRNA functions and expression
• Stem cell biology in animals and poultry
• Exploring developmental biology related issues, uterine, ovarian and placental biology in domestic animals and poultry
• Development of suitable/novel semen extender for improved post-thaw motility and fertility of buffalo semen
• Molecular cloning, characterization and recombinant production of buffalo bull fertility- and sperm motility-associated proteins
• Use of recombinant proteins in semen extender for improving fertility and cryo-survival of buffalo semen and development of assays to screen fertile and sub-fertile buffalo bulls
• Identification of functional biomolecules that influence reproductive processes in livestock

Nutrient Kinetics and Integrative Physiology Laboratory

The laboratory was established in 2012 for unraveling the mechanism(s) of nutrient kinetics and the biophysical translation in integrating the homeostatic mechanism involved in the regulation of various physiological processes in livestock. The laboratory is equipped to handle gene expression studies, cell culture, hormone estimations and blood biochemical variables. The recent research investigations carried out in the laboratory are mentioned below:

• Elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms for livestock adaptation to climate change
• Genes associated with thermo-tolerance in livestock
• Regulation, integration and modulation of gastrointestinal functions in livestock
• Nutrient-gene interactions in various physiological functions
• Nutrition-Immune system interaction in livestock
• Integrative response of animals to internal and external stimulants for maintaining homeostasis
• Screening of indigenous goat breeds to identify breeds with extreme climate resilience

Feed Resources and Informatics Laboratory

The laboratory was established 2013 to serve the stakeholder through evaluation of feed resources and development of technologies related to feeds and fodder. The latest technologies are used to develop informatics tools to analyse data and disseminated the information on feeds and fodder to the farmers, policy makers, feed, dairy and poultry industry. Nanotechnology is emerging field, its application in feed industry is vital in coming year. Hence, nanotechnology related research works are carried out in this laboratory. Expertises are working in this lab for development of feed formulation software and feed portal. The recent research work carried out in this laboratory is listed below:

• Feed Portal: Information related to nutrient requirements, feeding standard, ingredients related details are available as feed portal
• Feed Chart: Multi lingual (Hindi, English, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu) print media for ration balancing of milch cattle and buffaloes. It also available as web page, click here to view
• NIANP-Feed Chart Android Application: Available in Google play store to cater the need of young generation dairy entrepreneur.
• TMR Feed Formulation Software: Excel based total mixed ration – feed formulation software for dairy industry and for least cost compounded feed formulation to cater the need of feed industry.
• An International consultancy project funded by International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) entitled "Development of ration balancing tool for growing lambs and fattening sheep" was completed during the year 2018.
• Project on "Utilization of nano zinc and its impacts on growth and reproduction in goats" were completed during 2017.
• Project on "Effect of feeding organic chromium in biotic stressed laying birds" was completed.
• Skewing sex ratio by feed supplementation - Project funded by National Agricultural Science Fund is on progress.

Feed Quality and Safety Laboratory

This laboratory was established to cater the requirements of feed quality and safety under feed resources group. The laboratory has facilities for undertaking basic nutritional analysis of feeds and biological materials. This laboratory has equipments like Gas Chromatograph fitted with electron capture detector and flame ionization detector; Compound microscope with image analysis software; Refrigerated Centrifuge; MilliQ Water purification system; Gerhardt Nitrogen analyser; Soxhtherm (Rapid fat analyzer); CEM Microwave Muffle furnace.

Following are the salient accomplishments:

• Three non conventional oil cakes namely Castor, Azadirachta indica, Pongamia have been evaluated as protein supplements after detoxification.
• Ayurvedic Medicinal Residues (AMR) have been utilized as alternate source for conventional protein supplements.
• Nano Zinc has been evaluated as a replacement for conventional zinc source at reduced levels.
• Feed Microscopy technique was established as a tool to detect adulteration in feed materials.
• Bio-fortified by-products (straw, bran) of rice, wheat, pearl millet, sorghum are being nutritionally evaluated using in vitro technique.
• Samples of Soil, Water, Feed, Fodder, Milk and hair samples are being monitored for pesticide residues and heavy metals.
• Encapsulation of Micro nutrients is being attempted in collaboration with SRS, NDRI, Bangalore.
• Support to researchers from within and outside institute in the area of proximate analysis, fatty acids, pesticide residues.
• Feed Analytical services are provided to Milk Federations, Government agencies, Feed Factories on payment basis.

Feed Additives and Nutraceuticals Laboratory

The laboratory was established in 2008 to carry out advanced research in the areas of nutraceuticals particularly prebiotic, probiotic, gut microflora and alternate feed additives. The current facilities of the laboratory includes High Performance Liquid Chromatography, PCR, Laminar Flow, Nano volume spectrophotometer, High Speed Refrigerated Centrifuge, Ultra-sonic bath, Thin layer chromatography, spray drying etc. As a result of dedicated efforts of the team members, the laboratory was successful in obtaining grants from several funding bodies and successfully completed six extramural research projects. The research achievements of the laboratory were adjudged as "ICAR- Outstanding Interdisciplinary Team Research Award" in 2014. The recent research investigations carried out in the laboratory are outlined below:

• Process for xylan extraction from agricultural wastes and byproducts
• Enzymatic process for xylooligosaccharides (prebiotic) production from natural grass, corn cobs and husks, green coconut husks, pigeon pea stalks, cotton stalks, tobacco stalks etc.
• Short Chain oligosaccharides production from inulin and its evaluation as prebiotic
• D-tagatose - production & evaluation as nutraceutical
• Prebiotic as alternative to antibiotic growth promoters in pig
• Qualitative assay for endo-xylanase

Omics Laboratory

The laboratory was established in 2010 to cater the advanced requirements of Omics technologies in existing research work and mandated to work on application of high throughput technologies. The laboratory is equipped to handle transcriptomics, metagenomics and proteomics protocols and bioinformatics. The recent research investigations carried out in the laboratory are mentioned below:

• Oocyte transcriptome to unravel determinants of development competence
• Liver transcriptomic insights into aflatoxin toxicity in broiler birds
• Microbial community analysis based on Terminal Restriction Fragment Analysis in prebiotic and herbal residue supplementation in pig, poultry and fishes.
• Microbial community analysis based on amplicon sequencing of 16s rDNA tags for assessing impact of methane reduction through plant bioactive compounds
• Metagenome sequencing of rumen microbes in domestic livestock species
• Metabolome characterization of the rumen environment
• Production of recombinant proteins in bacteria and yeast systems