Alltech Biotechnology with new nutrigenomics center

Tor-Eddie Fossbakk The first facility of its kind in the world, the centre is dedicated to the study of the effect of nutrition on gene expression and represents a 20,000 square foot expansion of the company’s existing research facility. The Nutrigenomics laboratory employs the latest technologies to generate databases detailing the effects of nutrition on gene expression profiles in the tissues of various species. The databases will be analyzed to determine the health and performance status of livestock and the best nutritional interventions for peak production potential. In addition to Nutrigenomics, the facility will house the company’s research initiatives at its global headquarters, including the study of functional glycomics, solid state fermentation, rumen function and ecology, aquaculture, organic trace minerals and biorefining. In coming years, the facility is expected to require 40 additional research professionals to be fully staffed. To help address this need, in 2007, Alltech formed a partnership with the University of Kentucky (UK) to advance research in the field of nutrigenomics. As part of this partnership, Alltech gave the university a USD 900,000 grant that will, in part, help to place faculty and staff from the College of Agriculture at the company’s Nutrigenomics facility. Caption: "I, along with everyone at Alltech, am very excited about the potential of this incredible facility, the first of its kind anywhere in the world,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech.