Department of Animal Sciences
The Department of Animal Sciences is involved in research and education related to the function, behaviour and biology of animals. We focus on three main areas: 1. Animal welfare in sustainable food systems 2. Human and animal health in mutual interaction 3. Animals in biodiversity and ecosystems.
Chair groups
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Adaptation Physiology Group
The Adaptation Physiology group (ADP) studies how adaptation to a changing and challenging environment impacts welfare and health of animals. We do this in a multidisciplinary manner, by combining expertise in energy metabolism, behavioural biology, immunology, reproductive physiology and modelling. We contribute to the quality of life by providing knowledge about conditions that facilitate resilience and positive experiences in animals.
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Animal Breeding and Genomics Group
The Animal Breeding and Genomics group aims to improve the health, welfare and productivity of animals. The group contributes to the quality of life by providing knowledge to support the adequate supply of safe and healthy food of animal origin.
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Animal Nutrition Group
We generate and transfer knowledge of the nutrition of animals to improve their production, health and welfare in a sustainable manner and improve the quality of life.
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Animal Production Systems Group
Research of the Animal Production Systems Group focuses on unravelling the complexity of livestock systems, and exploring trade-offs and synergies of innovations regarding environmental impact, animal welfare, and economic viability, to design a more sustainable future
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Aquaculture and Fisheries Group
It is our mission to be leading in academic research and education on sustainable Aquaculture and Fisheries, with a focus on society relevant questions and on the interactions between aquatic organisms and their environment. We address, in particular, nutrition and health in aquaculture systems and adaptation of fishes and fisheries to changes in the environment.
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Behavioural Ecology Group
Our group studies the causes and consequences of decisions animals make with a focus on social contexts. We provide education in Behavioural Ecology and Applied Animal Behaviour.
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Cell Biology and Immunology Group
The vision of the Cell Biology and Immunology Group (CBI) is to generate fundamental knowledge on the immune system of vertebrates. We apply this knowledge to the development of dietary-based immunomodulation, immunotherapies and vaccination strategies in order to improve health of animals and humans.
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Experimental Zoology Group
The Experimental Zoology Group studies how moving animals function in their complex natural environment. We do this by combining physics, engineering, molecular techniques and modelling in a quantitative systems analysis. This provides insights that we use to offer solutions for societal problems.
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Host-Microbe Interactomics
Our research ranges from work on the molecular mechanisms of diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria to the interactions between and beneficial bacteria and their human or animal hosts. The group combines expertise in cell biology, immunology, microbiology and functional genomics to further our understanding of the molecular interactions occurring in the cross-talk between microbes and their hosts.
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Human and Animal Physiology Group
The Human and Animal Physiology Group performs molecular physiological research and academic training focused on mechanistic understanding of energy metabolism in health and disease of humans and animals and how this can be targeted by specific nutrients to improve health.
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Marine Animal Ecology Group
Marine animal ecology (MAE) studies how marine animals adapt in response to a changing environment. Our research is focused on different organismal levels, from eco-physiology, early life-stage development, population genomics, up to whole ecological community responses. We subsequently apply our research to gain an understanding of the consequences of anthropogenic activities to ecosystem services and conservation management.
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Infectious Disease Epidemiology
The Infectious Disease Epidemiology (IDE) group at Wageningen University & Research aims to improve the quality of life by managing infectious diseases in populations of livestock, wild animals, and humans. The emphasis is on the transmission of infectious diseases within and between groups of animals and on factors that influence that transmission.