As the use of antibiotics declines and public pressure for the elimination of pharmacological levels of zinc in swine diets increases, the industry finds itself in dire need of more methods for reducing the incidence of viral and bacterial infections in pigs. In today’s episode, Dr. Elisa Crisci shares her work about a new class of biological compounds which is derived from the blood platelets of pigs and can be utilized due to its antiviral and antibacterial properties in the swine population.

Meet the guest: Dr. Elisa Crisci

Experience:

• Current: Assistant Professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University.
• Past: Postdoctoral Researcher at INRA French National Institute for Agricultural Research; Postdoctoral Researcher at Linköping University

Background:

• Ph.D., Animal Medicine and Health (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)
• M.Sc. (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona) 
• D.V.M. (Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna)

Connect with the guest on Social Media: LinkedIn

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Visit us at https://swinehealthblackbelt.com

The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

- Boehringer Ingelheim

- Skov

- JBI

- United Animal Health

- Adare

- Elanco

There are a lot of details and inner workings in a swine research facility, especially when it comes to running it at a commercial level and dealing with customers who expect top-notch, quality trials. In this episode, which is the first part of a two-episode series, I talk with Dr. Dustin Boler about some of those details and what it takes to effectively and efficiently produce reliable results in commercial-level research trials.

Meet the guest: Dr. Dustin Boler

Experience:

• Current: Director of Research (Carthage Veterinary Service)
• Past: Director of Research (Topigs Norsvin USA); Associate Professor (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign); Assistant Professor (Ohio State University).

Background:

• M.B.A. (Kelley School of Business - Indiana University)
• Ph.D., Animal Sciences (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
• M.Sc., Animal Sciences (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) 
• B.S., Animal Sciences/Ag Economics (Purdue University)

Connect with the guest on Social Media: LinkedIn

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Visit us at https://swinehealthblackbelt.com

The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

- Boehringer Ingelheim

- Skov

- JBI

- United Animal Health

- Adare

- Elanco

Nowadays, using animals as models for human biomedical research is an important part of scientific studies. In particular, pigs share a lot of gastrointestinal, anatomical, and pathophysiological similarities with humans, which means there is a lot we can learn from conducting research trials in swine that are not possible to be performed in humans. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Elisa Crisci about some of the work she does performing biomedical research with pigs as models and the ways this field is continuously growing and improving.

Meet the guest: Dr. Elisa Crisci

Experience:

• Current: Assistant Professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University.
• Past: Postdoctoral Researcher at INRA French National Institute for Agricultural Research; Postdoctoral Researcher at Linköping University

Background:

• Ph.D., Animal Medicine and Health (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)
• M.Sc. (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona) 
• D.V.M. (Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna)

Connect with the guest on Social Media: LinkedIn

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Visit us at https://swinehealthblackbelt.com

The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

- Boehringer Ingelheim

- Skov

- JBI

- United Animal Health

- Adare

- Elanco

One of the most difficult and unfortunate things in pig production is having to accept that pain is a reality when we are talking about certain practices. That is why, as responsible pig producers, we need to find ways to mitigate that pain as much as possible. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Monique Pairis-Garcia, whose research focuses on pain management. Together, we discuss how to manage pain on the farm, where we are as an industry, and what next steps we need to take to keep improving.

Meet the guest: Dr. Monique Pairis-Garcia

Experience:

• Current: Veterinarian and Associate Professor of Global Production Animal Welfare at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Background:

• Ph.D., Veterinary Medicine (Iowa State University)

Connect with the guest on Social Media: LinkedIn

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Visit us at https://swinehealthblackbelt.com

The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

- Boehringer Ingelheim

- Skov

- JBI

- United Animal Health

- Adare

To have efficient biosecurity and good health on your pig farm, you need to start at the beginning: making sure your facility is as clean as possible when the pigs move in. However, it may not be as simple as it sounds – after all, proper cleaning and disinfection of a pig barn takes time and attention to details. In today’s episode, I talk with Aaron Juergens about some tips and tricks to make sure you're getting that room 100% clean and everything goes through a proper process of disinfection.

Meet the guest: 

Experience:

• Current: Co-Founder at American AG Advantage; Business Development Partner at Juergens Brothers LLC; Director Of Operations And Business Development at Sampson Farms LLC.
• Past: Managing Owner at Sunburst Valley Farms; Graduate Research Assistant at Kansas State University; Director Of Operations And Business Development at Clark Family Farms of Iowa LLC.

Background:

• Highest Award of Achievement at Dale Carnegie Training;
• Business Administration and Management at Loras College.

Connect with the guest on Social Media: LinkedIn

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Visit us at https://swinehealthblackbelt.com

The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

- Boehringer Ingelheim

- Skov

- JBI

- United Animal Health

- Adare

Whole genome PRRSv sequencing is a topic that has already been discussed in more detail in some earlier episodes, with Dr. Linhares and Dr. Trevisan. But regardless of how important it is, its applicability at a university, inside a lab, may be different than its use for producers. So how does this method apply to vets working on a farm? In today’s episode, I talk with Dr. Joel Sparks about his experience with using whole genome PRRS sequencing to test for PRRSv in commercial facilities, and how this sequencing method can be beneficial for improving biosecurity.

Dr. Joel Sparks is a Swine Veterinarian at AMVC Management Services. He earned his M.S. in Veterinary Preventive Medicine and his Ph.D. of Veterinary Medicine from Iowa State University in 2015, and in this same year, he started at his present role. Dr. Sparks is currently located in Lafayette, Indiana, where he is responsible for AMVC farms in Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio. He is also a member of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians.

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Visit us at https://swinehealthblackbelt.com

The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

- Boehringer Ingelheim (https://www.swineresource.com/)

- Skov (https://www.skov.com/)

- JBI (https://www.jbidistributors.com/)

- United Animal Health (http://www.unitedanh.com/)

- Adare (https://adarebiome.com/)

There has lately been an increased prevalence of a new salmonella serotype in the US. This monophasic serotype is one of the most prevalent and can be a concern for producers if pigs become infected. In today's episode, I talk with Dr. Fernando Leite about his work with a vaccine for this serotype and why the effects of this bacteria can be detrimental to producers.

In his role as Technical Manager of Swine Enteric Diseases, Dr. Fernando Leite serves as a resource for producers and veterinarians working through disease challenges. Fernando joined Boehringer Ingelheim in 2018, after obtaining his Ph.D. in veterinary infectious disease from the University of Minnesota. His research, which primarily focused on Salmonella and Lawsonia infection in swine, earned him a handful of awards including the honor of Best Student Abstract at the Allen D. Leman Swine Conference. Fernando is an active member of the Society for Mucosal Immunity and the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV). Additionally, he serves on AASV’s Food Safety Committee.

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Visit us at https://swinehealthblackbelt.com

The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

- Boehringer Ingelheim (https://www.swineresource.com/)

- Skov (https://www.skov.com/)

- JBI (https://www.jbidistributors.com/)

- United Animal Health (http://www.unitedanh.com/)

- Adare (https://adarebiome.com/)

The swine industry is constantly evolving and if it wants to stay profitable, we need to learn how to best utilize the latest developments in technology to increase revenue and sustainability. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Madonna Benjamin about her research utilizing pose estimation technology to be able to predict movement and identify lameness and body condition issues in sows.

Madonna Benjamin, DVM, MS is an Assistant Professor, Swine Extension Veterinarian, in Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University. She achieved her DVM from the University of Guelph (1995), residency in swine health, and masters in animal welfare from Michigan State University (1998). She practiced food animal production medicine in Alberta, Canada until 2012. Her research focuses on precision livestock farming, to meld economic decisions, mitigation strategies, labor efficiencies and individual animal welfare. Some of her work has been on visual imaging to evaluate body condition and weight in cull sows, establishing rural connectivity to improve farm economics and animal welfare, and developing on-farm robust data collection devices.

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Visit us at https://swinehealthblackbelt.com

The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

- Boehringer Ingelheim (https://www.swineresource.com/)

- Skov (https://www.skov.com/)

- JBI (https://www.jbidistributors.com/)

- United Animal Health (http://www.unitedanh.com/)

- Adare (https://adarebiome.com/)

As we all know, pigs, just like humans, are susceptible to stress. Too much stress on a pig can cause it to grow poorly and have more health complications. In today’s episode, I talk with Andrea Lutman about her work measuring stress factors in piglets at weaning, and working to define resilience in pig populations.

Andrea Luttman is a 4th year Ph.D. candidate and USDA NIFA pre-doctoral fellow in the Genetics & Genome Sciences program at Michigan State University studying under Dr. Cathy Ernst in the Animal Science department. Prior to graduate school, she received her Bachelor’s in Animal Science with an Animal Biology concentration. Her current research is using an integrated approach to characterize stress resilience in pigs and molecular techniques including Whole Genome Bisulfite Sequencing and Transcriptomics to investigate the genetic mechanisms that regulate stress response and therefore resilience.

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Visit us at https://swinehealthblackbelt.com

The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

- Boehringer Ingelheim (https://www.swineresource.com/)

- Skov (https://www.skov.com/)

- JBI (https://www.jbidistributors.com/)

- United Animal Health (http://www.unitedanh.com/)

- Adare (https://adarebiome.com/)

As the old saying goes, it is better to be safe than sorry. That applies to ASF spread in the US too. Being prepared for ASF introduction and having the best possible plan in place to eliminate its spread is critical for our swine infrastructure. Hopefully we can do a better job at controlling it than we did with Covid-19. In this episode, I talk with Abby Sykes about her work creating an ASF transmission model to predict the best possible outcomes and what measures must be taken if a farm tests positive for the disease in order to keep it from spreading across the country.

Abagael Sykes graduated with a Bachelors in Biological Sciences from the Royal Veterinary College, London UK, in 2019 and went on to pursue a Masters degree in Epidemiology from Imperial College London, UK. During both her time at RVC and Imperial, she developed a keen research interest in the epizootic and zoonotic diseases leading her to join the Machado Lab at North Carolina State University, to investigate the dynamics of swine diseases. Since joining, Abagael has been involved in developing interpretable machine learning methods of assessing the risk of PRRSV outbreaks based on the implementation of biosecurity practices, and has used real company data to develop a transmission model to simulate the spread of African swine fever in the United States through multiple transmission routes.

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Visit us at https://swinehealthblackbelt.com

The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

- Boehringer Ingelheim (https://www.swineresource.com/)

- Skov (https://www.skov.com/)

- JBI (https://www.jbidistributors.com/)

- United Animal Health (http://www.unitedanh.com/)

- Adare (https://adarebiome.com/)