Their project is entitled “Development of the respiratory system in the chick: airways, air sacs, and innervation patterns”. Dr Schachner is lead PI and Dr Reznikov is co/secondary PI
This proposal included:
- Avian medicine or avian biology
- Neuroscience
- Airway biology
- Imaging techniques
- Overall, this exciting application may lead to basic fundamental insights into embryonic development in addition to the applied nature of understanding the mechanistic role of how heat stress affects lung/air sac development and downstream health.
- While much of the application reiterates the findings will be used in a R21 application, the overarching aims of the proposal seem to be very much in line with a USDA NIFA application that could revolve around a better understanding of animal welfare conditions (heat stress, which is prevalent in southern states as noted) and how it affects animal health (i.e., productivity or increased susceptibility to disease, or the bottom line basically).
- For instance, as mentioned in the proposal, birds with heat stress (or compromised air sacs due to inflammation or infection) have reduced growth rates, lower egg production, which directly impact profitability. This sounds very much like a mission statement from the USDA. You might want to expand your submissions outside the NIH bubble.
