IFA Tulln

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The Inter-University Department for Agrobiotechnology (IFA Tulln ) is a joint project of the University of Agricultural Sciences Vienna (BOKU ), Vienna University of Technology (TU ) and the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna ( VetMed ), and one of the 15 departments of BOKU. Five of the six institutes constituting the IFA Tulln, BOKU, and with some member institutions Campus Tulln Technopole.

History

The Inter-University Research Institute for Agrobiotechnology (IFA Tulln ) was founded in 1994 with the participation of three universities in Vienna. The goal was to create the spatial environment for a close interdisciplinary integration of agricultural biotechnology research. The planning began in 1989, the opening of the research center was held on 22 September 1994. After the entry into force of the Universities Act of 2002 ( Act 2002 ), the University of Natural Resources and has been with the management of the entire research center, which continues to be operated by the three universities, commissioned. The five institutes of the Research Institute were incorporated at the University of Natural Resources as a separate Department with the name Inter-University Department for Agrobiotechnology (IFA Tulln ). 2011 was the Institute of Animal Nutrition, Products, and Nutrition Physiology than 6 Institute for Department IFA-Tulln it.

Organization and Structure

The Department for Agrobiotechnology (IFA Tulln ) as one of the 15 departments of the University of Agricultural Sciences Vienna, is today from 6 institutions:

• Institute for Biotechnology in Plant Production
• Institute for Natural Materials Technology
• Center for Analytical Chemistry
• Institute for Environmental Biotechnology
• Institute of Biotechnology in Animal Production
• Institute of Animal Nutrition, Products, and Nutrition Physiology.

Because of its history, the Department in the areas of financial accounting, home automation, IT and purchasing is largely independent. In order to protect the interests of the three participating universities (BOKU, Vienna University of Technology and University of Veterinary Medicine ), there are a supervisory board, the IFA Tulln Advisory Board. The advisory council consisting of members of the three universities mentioned and the Province of Lower Austria, meets once a quarter. Another special feature of the department compared to other departments are staff positions which are responsible for the commercial management as well as for research coordination.

Location

The first five institutes of the Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology in Tulln located in the building IFA- Tulln Tulln on the Danube at Campus Tulln Technopole (BOKU Tulln ). The sixth Institute ( TTE ) is located at BOKU Muthgasse location in Vienna. The building IFA -Tulln, together with the other working groups of the BOKU from other 6 departments ( Material Sciences and Process Engineering, Chemistry, Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Forest and Soil Sciences, Angew. Plant Sciences and Plant Biotechnology and Applied Genetics and Cell Biology), which opened in 2011, UFT university and Research Centre are Tulln, BOKU Tulln. The Campus Tulln Technopole is a part of the Technopole Tulln. The Technopole Tulln was founded in 2006 by the Lower Austrian Business Agency GmbH ( Ecoplus ), here also the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology and the sugar Tulln, the research center of AGRANA, and the FH find about Wiener Neustadt.

Institute at the Department of Agricultural Biotechnology

Institute for Biotechnology in Plant Production

The Institute for Biotechnology in Plant Production is engaged in basic and applied research on crop plants with a focus on plant breeding, plant genetics, plant pathology and resistance breeding. Based on the classic field-based breeding research in structural and functional genomics are applied to an increasing extent methods. The development of biotechnological tools such as molecular markers for selection and for genetic analysis, studies of gene expression and genome structure form the core area of ​​work. The Institute sees its role as mediator between the life science research and the application of new biotechnological techniques in practical plant breeding. Basis of Breeding Research on Cultivated is a well-functioning field experiments, as well as a contemporary and reliable greenhouse and climate chambers infrastructure. A particular focus of the institute is resistance research of grain, corn and pumpkin oil.

Institute for Natural Materials Technology

The focus of the Institute for Natural Materials Technology are located in the injection molding and extrusion of natural products. From raw material analysis and processing on the processing of pilot plants to material testing all work done at the Institute. Initial products of developments are biopolymers such as starch, proteins and plant fibers as well as by-products of food and timber industries. One research focus is the utilization of renewable raw materials and industrial by-products for injection molding and profile extrusion.

Center for Analytical Chemistry

It is divided into the three areas of mycotoxin analysis, water analysis, and biochemical analysis. Besides the development and validation of analytical methods especially in the field of environmental and toxin analysis as well as to ensure the quality of food and feed, including the production of reference materials is a focal point.

Institute for Environmental Biotechnology

The Institute for Environmental Biotechnology deals with the development and practical use umweltbiotechnologischer method. On one hand, after-care procedures for the remediation of contaminated waters or soils are developed and optimized, on the other hand, new methods for the prevention of environmental pollution and for recycling waste or by-products developed. The topics addressed include water and floor cleaning, prevention, treatment and recovery of organic waste, ecotoxicology, risk assessment and monitoring projects, development of mycotoxin - detoxifying feed additives, development of silage starter cultures, utilization of renewable raw materials for the biotechnological production of lactic acid and ethanol.

The Research and Development also in terms of their orientation both fundamental studies and laboratory experiments to pilot plant and field trials. Major sponsors are the EU, national and local authorities as well as the Austrian industry.

Working Group Contaminated Land Management ( soil remediation and risk assessment )

This topic covers basic and applied research on the occurrence and fate of organic chemicals in the environment, the evaluation of the resulting hazards and ways to mitigate the risk or remediation of damage cases. These innovative methods of analysis both physico- chemical and biological, shall be developed.

Potential limitations of the microbial contaminant degradation are studied and developed products and methods based on the results subsequently in the laboratory, which allow a large-scale application and efficient operation of remediation methods. Research will focus on the study of interactions between soil matrix and organic pollutants. Furthermore, in - situ and on -site remediation techniques are being developed.

Working Group on Anaerobic utilization ( Biogas Research & Consulting Group )

Biogas Group is engaged in the anaerobic utilization of renewable resources, waste and wastewater. The working group is active in all areas of the topic biogas technology and deals with marketing concepts of biomass over the pre-treatment of the substrates to increase the methane yield, optimization of plant technology, access to new groups of substrates, characterization of microorganisms involved in the process to the treatment and recycling of Gärrestproduktes. Another main focus is the advisory activity in this subject area dar. Special emphasis will be thrown on the analysis and the biological process control.

Working Group fermentation and microbial additives

One aspect of environmental biotechnology is the prevention of environmental damage and the use of sustainable technologies. In this sense, this work group engaged in the development of alternatives to fossil resources for the production of chemicals and energy and the development of microbial additives to replace potentially dangerous agrochemicals.

Goal is the development of microbiological processes from the laboratory scale to commercial application. To this end, the Institute is a vehicle equipped according to the prior art Biotechnikum available.

The following activities are carried out fermentation and microbial additives in the Working Group: Process Development and Scale -up, chemicals, and energy from biomass, microbial additives and formulation of the product, the development of processes includes insulation, screening, identification and cultivation of microorganisms and goes up to the pilot scale production and the application-oriented formulation. Areas of application are, for example, Microorganisms for the feed industry, where products have already been developed to market maturity.

Workgroup feed additives

The research activities of the working group " feed additives " carried out in close cooperation with the company Biomin GmbH. The projects carried out here are thematically assigned to the field of animal nutrition. In this context, a focus in the research, development and practical application of probiotic feed additives in animal production. Through the use of naturally in the intestines of animals occurring bacterial strains of the health status of fattening animals is to stabilize naturally and from pathogens such as Salmonella are protected. At the same time - especially after which came into force on 1 January 2006 ban on antibiotic growth promoters in the European Union - to counteract the abuse of antibiotics in meat production by an increase of therapeutic antibiotics.

Particular emphasis is placed on multi-component additives that can achieve additional positive effects in terms of their effectiveness due to their complex, but well-defined microbiological composition. The research is supported by microbiological and molecular biological methods, on the one hand to characterize the microorganisms from the digestive tract of animals and to study with regard to their efficacy and safety, and on the other hand to be able to identify with the administration of feed additives recoverable changes in the intestinal flora.

Another foundation constitutes cooperation with Biomin in the field of mycotoxin research

Research Group Microbial testing methods

The projects of this group range from conventional microbial analysis on the determination of the biodegradability of synthetic materials and biopolymers to the application of bioassays for the detection of eco-toxic effects in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. In addition, microbial community structures are analyzed by molecular methods from environmental samples. As the newest area of ​​work in 2003 with research on allelopathic interactions ( chemical interactions between plants and other organisms ) was started.

The working group will in future concentrate on the occurrence of ecotoxicological effects in waste and degradable materials, the investigation of allelopathic effects in terms of a practical application in agriculture and on the molecular biological analysis of microbial community structures in these subject areas.

Working Group on Water and wastewater treatment

The group of water and wastewater treatment is concerned with the development of novel and optimized procedures and processes in water and wastewater treatment. The working group is headed by Werner Fuchs. The projects carried out in the working group is almost always to industry collaborations, mostly with the support of national and European funding. Characteristic of the activities is the international orientation. Projects were carried out not only with partners in the EU, but also cope with China, Latin America and North Africa.

In addition to process development in cooperation with engineering companies also assist in the solution of problems in the water supply and waste water treatment area is given.

Besides the possibility for laboratory tests on process development and optimization in semi-industrial and pilot scale in the foreground. A thematic focus of the membrane separation process. Other areas of work are control and monitoring of water and wastewater treatment plants, recycling and saving concepts for careful use of water in industrial plants.

Institute of Biotechnology in Animal Production

Basic task of the department is to breed healthy and fertile animals with meaningful production services, the results of molecular and cell biological basic research will be implemented directly by means of technical reproduction methods in breeding practice.

The use of reproductive technologies in cattle breeding made ​​possible by the production of embryos, the effective use of genetically high-quality animals. The production of embryos is possible from living animals by means of hormonal superovulation, insemination and flush the embryos from the uterus ( embryo transfer). are then fertilized in the laboratory and develop into embryos ( IVP = in vitro production of embryos). Using the IVP embryos can also slaughtered animals whose ovaries arrive within a short time in the laboratory, are produced. The embryos thus obtained can be directly transferred to recipient animals or be frozen for storage, transport or marketing purposes.

To transgenic mice breeding against loss by technical faults (climate control, water leakage ) or pathogens to protect ( infections caused by viruses or bacteria ), it is necessary to back up the genetic material. In this case, embryos in morula stage from hormonally stimulated mice are obtained from transgenic strains and lines and by a freezing method ( " vitrification ", Nowshari and Brem, 1993, Theriogenology ) cryopreserved. On the male side can be used as gametes, spermatozoa cryopreserved ( Nakagata et al., 1997, Biol Reprod. ). They are stored in liquid nitrogen indefinitely. After thawing there is a diluting out the antifreeze and the embryos can be cultured in an incubator until the blastocyst stage or directly transferred into pseudopregnant recipients. The gametes can after thawing for in vitro fertilization (IVF ) is used and the resulting IVF embryos are transferred to the recipient. The number of embryos to be preserved depends on the genotype of the parents (homozygous or heterozygous ) and of their genetic background ( outbred or inbred ) from. There are cryopreserved 150 to 300 embryos of each transgenic line and each genetic background. As a further techniques for the preservation of genetic material, cryopreservation of germ tissue (ovary and testes) for later transplantation to immunocompromised recipients and the preservation of genetically modified cell lines for cloning of mice is established.

The form of production "Gene farming" enables the production of large quantities of Transgenprodukten (eg " nutriceuticals " or " Pharmaceuticals "), which can not be obtained in a similar purity and quantity of natural raw materials or produced in other bioreactors. The mammary gland of farmed animals is particularly well suited for the production of recombinant proteins that can be easily harvested by milking of the transgenic animals. Milk is a secretion which is produced during lactation continuously for several weeks. A milking machine for milking of rabbits allows a graceful doe. The system mimics the natural suckling of the young. While the doe resting on a textile net, the teat cups are created with the pulsating suction vacuum to the teats. After 5 to 10 minutes, the mammary gland is empty and the teat cups are removed. Although rabbits were never selected for milk yield, one can in a day up to 1/4 liter of milk obtained from a 5 kg heavy doe.

Were created by homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells (ES ) mice, which have a specific deficiency ( knockout, KO ) in a member of the Janus ( Jak ) tyrosine kinases. Jak mice are a tool to investigate the effects of various cytokines and growth factors in vivo can. It Jak2 and Tyk2 mice were processed. The Jak2 -deficient mice were created under the auspices of Prof. pepper (TU Munich) and analyzed in collaboration. The Tyk2 mice developed under the auspices of employees at the Department of Biotechnology in Animal Production, IFA Tulln and the Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Veterinary University of Vienna researchers.

The Jak proteins ( Janus kinases) are a family of receptor -associated protein tyrosine kinases, which has four members in mammals - Jak1, Jak2, Jak3 and Tyk2. Jaks bind to intracellular domains of cytokine and growth factor receptors. After receptor-ligand binding to be activated and to regulate the intracellular routing of the signals. In this play the Stat (signal transducer and activator of transcription ) proteins as positive regulators play an important role. Stats are primarily activated by Jaks to the receptor complexes that form homo - or heterodimers, translocate to the nucleus and activate the transcription factors specific genes. As negative regulators of the family of SOCS proteins ( suppressor of cytokine signaling, including CIS, SSI, JAB ) have been identified that directly inhibit the catalytic activity of Jaks or prevent other mechanisms Stat activation. This intracellular signaling pathway was named on the basis of mainly protein families involved in Jak -Stat signaling pathway. The cell-specific effects of cytokines, is controlled by the specific composition of the receptor complex. In addition to the Jak / Stat / SOCS proteins other cell-and development-specific signaling molecules and cascades are involved in cytokine- and growth factor - mediated response.

The yaks function has been extensively studied in various in vitro systems. This data could then be completed by the in vivo investigation of Jak -deficient ( Jak -KO ) mice. The targeted inactivation of Jak2 leads to embyronaler lethality of homozygous KO mice. Jak2 Embyronen are anemic and die at day 12.5 of embryonic development. In the absence of Jak2 -mediated signaling pathways, the formation of red blood cells in the fetal liver completely disrupted. This is V.A. by the need of Jak2 in signal transduction of erythropoietin (EPO ), interleukin (IL ) -3 and granulocyte -macrophage colony - stimulating factor (GM -CSF) explainable.

The studies of Tyk2 mice habent shown that Tyk2 is not like the other members of the Jak family instrumental in the architecture of one or more cytokine receptors in vivo. The role of Tyk2 in the total organism is rather fine-tune the cytokine response by a reinforcement of the existing signal, or the selective activation of certain get to the respective cytokine receptor. At least at IFN-alpha/beta- and the IL- 12 receptor, the presence of the activation of Stat3 Tyk2 is required. Tyk2 deficiency leads not, as in vitro data was expected from the to generally strong impairment of the immune system. The data indicate rather point to a role of Tyk2 in the transition from innate immunity in the specific immunity.

Molecular genetic techniques make it possible to detect disease-related genetic alterations directly. Not only the homozygous carriers but also the phenotypically healthy, heterozygous carriers are detected. Even in the selection of features allows the molecular genetic analysis to determine the value of animals in terms of a feature directly, as the carrier sires and desirable characteristic marker they can preferably be used in breeding. Examples of molecular genetic diagnosis:

The kappa -casein alleles are performance markers. The milk protein casein forms the base material for the production of cheese. In the cattle populations different kappa -casein alleles are present, a variant of the protein has better properties cheese, so cheese is better quality and higher cheese yield. Breeding animals that the responsible allele - it is the allele B - carry, can be directly detected and selectively preferred means of molecular genetic diagnosis: you inherit the feature on to their daughters.

Bovine leukocyte adhesion deficiency is an autosomal recessive genetic disease in Holstein cattle. A point mutation is responsible for a dysfunction of the white blood cells that control their function to infectious agents can not comply with that. Homozygous carriers of the defect die because of reduced immune response within the first year of life. In offspring of breeding animals that are evident as heterozygous carriers of the defect, the BLAD test is an important erbhygienische measure to keep the disease under control.

The " atrophic rhinitis " (rhinitis athrophicans ) is one of the economically most important diseases in the swine production. The disease is caused by the interaction of several factors ( poor housing climate, viruses, mycoplasma, and other organisms, such as Bordatella bronchiseptica ). However, decisive for the outbreak of the disease are toxigenic Pasteurella multocida strains. The samples are removed using special nasal swabs in operation. You are incubated overnight in a special medium to existing toxin-producing Pasteurella multocida strains to multiply. About polymerase chain reaction ( PCR) the toxin gene is on the one hand demonstrated and verified the method itself through an internal control. The bonds of internal control (400 base pairs) must appear in each reaction on the gel electrophoresis, the toxin band (1600 bp ) only in positive test samples. The great advantage of the detection of pathogens by PCR, in contrast to other detection methods ( zBELISA ) lies mainly in the higher sensitivity, since false positive and false negative results can be avoided.

Institute of Animal Nutrition, Products, and Nutrition Physiology

The Institute of Animal Nutrition, Products, and Nutrition Physiology ( TTE ) represents the beginning of the supply chain of food of animal origin. The focus here is on proper feeding of farm animals and the significant impact of nutrition on quality and safety of primary products (milk, meat, eggs). The secondary effects of individual dietary components on digestion, metabolism and health are a particular focus.

Experimental studies in livestock and model animals to humans ( pig, rat ) for metabolism of nutrients and the effect of functional ingredients of food or additives. Analysis of nutrients (including trace elements ) in biological material. Quantification of fractional fluxes in the intact organism (absorption, excretion, turnover in the tissue ).

Thematic priorities

Effect of dietary fiber components, probiotics and essential oils on the functionality of digestion of the pig animal model of nutrition physiology, molecular biology and histology. Nutritional aspects ( bioavailability, accumulation in tissues ) of essential trace elements (iodine, selenium, zinc). Improvement of nutrient supply of Farm Animals ( essential amino acids, essential trace minerals, fat quality).

Teaching at the Department for Agrobiotechnology (IFA Tulln )

The staff of the Department are involved in the teaching activities of the University of Agricultural Sciences Vienna, Vienna University of Technology and University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna with the organization of lectures and laboratory exercises. In addition, bachelor's, master's, graduate, and doctoral dissertations for the above mentioned universities are supervised.