Dr Ian Dunn
Professor
Contact details
Address
- Street
-
The Roslin Institute
Easter Bush Campus
Midlothian - City
- Post code
Availability
Willingness to take Ph.D. students: No, but for specific projects I would be willing to discuss.
Research summary
Using the genetics and physiology of avian reproduction allows us to develop strategies utilising traditional or marker assisted selection to tackle problems as diverse as osteoporosis in laying hens, growth and reproduction in meat type birds, antimicrobial activity of egg white and shell quality in laying hens.
Current research interests
Our Group's interests lie in avian biology, in particular avian reproduction and growth and its consequences. This included a long term interest in how food, light and behaviour control reproduction and how the oviduct contributes to the formation of eggs. It has developed to include the relationship between long periods of reproductive activity and osteoporosis and the use of egg peptides as antimicrobials as well as aspects of satiety. Our work takes advantage of advances in genetics and genomics along with physiology to understand avian reproduction and growth. The understanding of the genetics and physiology of avian reproduction and growth allows us to develop strategies utilising traditional or marker assisted selection to tackle problems as diverse as osteoporosis in laying hens, polyfollicular ovaries in broiler breeders and antimicrobial activity of egg white and shell quality in laying hens. We are also increasing our understanding the control of food intake in birds. These traits all have socio-economic importance to the poultry industry. To do this we interact closely with many companies and groups in the institute and across Europe.-
Determining the variation in premaxillary and dentary bone morphology that may underlie beak shape between two pure layer lines
In:
Poultry Science
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2021.101500
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Parental methyl-enhanced diet and in ovo corticosterone affect first generation Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) development, behaviour and stress response.
In:
Scientific Reports
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-99812-w
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
A genome-wide association analysis for body weight at 35 days measured on 137,343 broiler chickens
In:
Genetics Selection Evolution, vol. 53, pp. 70
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12711-021-00663-w
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
What are the challenges facing the table egg industry in the next decades and what can be done to address them?
In:
Animal
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2021.100282
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Review article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Comparative analysis of the morphology, chemistry and structure of the tibiotarsus, humerus and keel bones in laying hens
In:
British Poultry Science
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2021.1943310
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Parental methyl-enhanced diet and in ovo corticosterone affect first generation Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) development, behaviour and stress response.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-455911/v1
Research output: › Working paper (Published) -
Dietary betaine reduces plasma homocysteine concentrations and improves bone strength in laying hens
In:
British Poultry Science
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2021.1883550
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
No evidence that selection for egg production persistency causes loss of bone quality in laying hens
In:
Genetics Selection Evolution
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12711-021-00603-8
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Transcriptome analysis of the uterus of hens laying eggs differing in cuticle deposition
In:
BMC Genomics
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-020-06882-7
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Explanations for keel bone fractures in laying hens: Are there explanations in addition to elevated egg production?
In:
Poultry Science
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2020.05.035
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
An eQTL in the cystathionine beta synthase gene is linked to osteoporosis in laying hens
In:
Genetics Selection Evolution, vol. 52
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12711-020-00532-y
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Short tandem repeats and methylation in the promoter region affect expression of cystathionine beta-synthase gene in the laying hen
In:
Gene, vol. 710
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gene.2019.05.049
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published)