A new project to strengthen the immune system of chickens with a novel bacteria is underway in Germany in a joint effort by Evonik’s Biotech Hub, the Technical University of Munich and Aachen University.
The aim is to prevent pathogens colonising the intestinal tract, enhance poultry health and help reduce the use of antibiotics.
Evonik is co-ordinating the three-year joint Chicken Synthetic Microbiota (ChiSYN) project, which is expected to cost €2 million and is funded by the project partners and by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL).
“For our health, we need healthy food and for that we need healthy animals,” said Christoph Kobler, who heads the Biotech Hub. “Our innovative microbial consortium contributes to both animal health and sustainable human nutrition.”
The aim of the project partners is to develop a prototype feed additive that makes sure that beneficial microorganisms colonise the gut of chicks. To achieve this, bacteria that strengthen the immune system and make colonisation by pathogens more difficult are selected from a broad population of chickens. The project partners then combine these microorganisms to create a novel consortium.