Vet university teachers get UGC research project - Times Of India

A project under a major research scheme of University Grant Commission (UGC) has been awarded to R S Sethi, associate professor, School of Animal Biotechnology, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) as principal investigator and Swarn Singh Randhawa, Opinder Singh and Simrat Sagar Singh -- who also teach at the university -- as co-investigators.

The research grant of Rs 10.41 lakh for the research project titled, "Characterization and ultra-structural details of endotoxin induced laminitis in buffalo calf model," has been sanctioned by UGC. Randhawa, who is director, research, GADVASU, informed that lameness is a herd problem of dairy animals with serious implications on production and reproduction of animals. He told that 90-99% cases of lameness in dairy animals occurs due to foot lesions. These may cause about 10% decrease in milk yield, and about 40 days increase in conception to calving period while inter-calving period may be extended by over two months. Foot lesions cause severe pain and discomfort to animals so lameness is considered as an issue of animal welfare, he said. Sethi said that the project will focus on the histo-pathological and ultrastructural changes in hooves after endotoxin infusion in buffaloes to explore the pathophysiology of laminitis.