Over the years state funding in support of agricultural research has decreased. The recently approved California budget contains a 10 percent cut in state-funded agricultural research. To maintain strong research programs, Animal Science faculty must rely increasingly on funds from non-state sources. Our faculty's ability to compete for extramural funds demonstrates the high quality of departmental research programs. The following list includes new grants to Animal Science faculty.

Dr. Mary Delany received a three-year grant for $225,000 from the USDA Animal Genome and Genetic Mechanisms Panel for work on telomere array organization and telomerase function in the chicken.

Drs. Joy Mench, Anita Oberbauer and Francine Bradley received a USDA grant for $215,000 to study behavioral activity in broiler chickens and its effects on the incidence of skeletal problems. Dr. Mench also received $55,098 from the Kenneth A. Scott Charitable Trust to assemble printed and web-based materials to help animal shelter personnel recognize serious illnesses or injuries among animals in their custody.

Dr. Dennis Hedgecock, Bodega Marine Laboratory, was awarded a four-year, $422,134 grant from USDA in support of the Western Regional Aquaculture Center to study crossbreeding of Pacific oysters for high yield. He also received $400,000 from CalFED (US Fish and Wildlife Service) for a grant entitled, “Using Molecular Techniques to Preserve Genetic Integrity of Endangered Salmon in a Supplementation Program,” as well as a $150,000 grant from the California Sea Grant program, “Meiosis in Tetraploid Pacific Oysters, Their Triploid Mothers, and Diploid Grandmothers.”

Dr. Tom Adams received a grant from the USDA for $235,000 to support continuing studies that examine the impact of stress on reproductive function in domestic species. He and his graduate student Dorena Rode received a three-year grant from the National Institutes of Health for $70,800 to study the effect of phytochemicals (bioactive chemicals that occur naturally in plants) on reproductive function in sheep.

Drs. Deanne Meyer and Peter Robinson received a grant from the State Water Resources Control Board for $127,000 to develop a template to estimate nutrients excreted from dairy cattle at commercial dairies in California.

Dr. Doug Conklin received a $25,000 UC MEXUS-CONACYT Collaborative Grant, “The California Halibut Aquaculture Research Consortium: An initiative to make possible the commercial culture of the Paralichthys californicus.”

Professor Tom Famula was awarded $9,000 from Guide Dogs for the Blind to advance the health and temperament of guide dogs with a planned breeding program

Dr. Joe Garner, working with Professors Joy Mench and Jim Millam received an NIH grant for $148,438 entitled: “A Mouse Model of Autistic Repetitive Behavior.

Professors Kirk Klasing and Chris Calvert were awarded a USDA grant for $200,000. The title of the grant is “Nutritional Immunomodulation by Dietary Carotenoids in an Avian Model.”

Dr. Bernie May received $25,590 from the US Fish and Wildlife Service to fund a project titled “Assessment of Genetic Variation between Coastal Steelhead Populations Associated with Different Run-Timings.”

Dr. Wolfgang Pittroff and collaborators from other departments received $99,330 from the California Department of Food and Agriculture to study yellow star thistle control.

Dr. Anita Oberbauer received $21,000 from the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation to characterize the inheritance of Addison's disease and linked DNA.

Professors Jan Roser and Trish Berger were awarded a USDA grant titled “Decreasing Estrogen: Androgen Ratio in Porcine Testicular Development” for $230,000. Dr. Roser also received a $51,000 grant from the Grayson-Jockey Club Foundation, “Production and Efficacy of Recombinant Equine Gonadotropins.”