Department of Animal Sciences
The area of animal sciences is enhanced by several departments and colleges of The Ohio State University. The partnership of these many divisions of the University is characteristic of the animal sciences endeavor. The faculty in the Department of Animal Sciences have been deliberate in developing team approaches to critical questions. Not all discoveries are team-based but certainly most are. Within this report, one will find revelations of new discoveries and reviews of the state-of-the-art for unfolding doctrines on animal science knowledge.
Among the observations drawn from reports such as this, the seeming contradictions from past knowledge emerge. Ideas can be accepted as fact and taught as fact until related new discoveries or improved scientific tools are invented which allow a dogma to be examined differently. That should be kept in mind at all times. This report contains knowledge as we can best test it under today's technology. Some of what we "know" will be proven different someday. That is the challenge of the scientists at The Ohio State University -- do IMPACT research at the most innovative level possible.
Equipment technology consistently is our greatest limitation, because the best equipment is very expensive. Research support staff members are our second limitation. There simply aren't enough of either to implement all the projects we can devise. Yet, the scientists have established many of the frontier scientific discoveries. The course of the animal industries is being influenced by our work and the teaching of our results.
At stake is the farm economy of Ohio. Through impact research, we are leading in the learning of important features of animal production and product development. Relevance is a key criterion in choosing our research questions. Affordability becomes a second measure of the pursuit of a research question. We are distinctly dependent upon commodity check-off programs for seed money and initiation of limited-protocol experiments. Sincere appreciation is expressed to all directors and executives of the commodity organizations responsible for these check-off funding ventures. Industry support comes into play as well, often at much higher funding ranges. Faculty are keen to nurture relationships with members of industry who understand the importance of our alliances. Farmers, agri-industry representatives, and professional advisors to agriculturalists also owe a debt to the commodity groups and companies who support research. We are all interested in feeding hungry people and providing companion animals that will flourish.
In partnership,
David L. Zartman, Chair