The MANNA project has achieved significant outcomes for all of the objectives.
1 The MANNA project effectively gained its goals in delivering a European Double Degree Doctorate level training programme on innovative technologies applied to animal science and nutrition. At current standing 9 of the 11 ESRs have obtained double degrees from two of the University partners in the project and the remaining 2 ESRs are likely to achieve their double degrees in the next 12 months. This has been achieved despite the complications caused by the Covid-19 lockdown requirements and limitations to travel in Europe over the course of the MANNA project.
2. The ESRs on the MANNA project have acquired the capabilities to address current and future needs of industry and academia with a raised awareness and expertise in application of cutting edge omics technology in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics and also in computer science related to bioinformatics. Of the ESRs who have graduated with double PhD degrees their first career choices have been in academia, industry and science communication.
3. Studies on innovative feeding strategies and bioactive feed additives have been applied in chicken and dairy production. In chickens responses to bacterial endotoxin and effects of potential Neuroceuticals have demonstrated modified metabolomics and proteomic responses (ESR3) while the of use heavy isotopes has allowed protein synthesis rates of individual proteins to be determined for the first time (ESR4). Machine learning has been applied to evaluate the selection process of serum samples from dairy cows pre and post parturition, allowing the contrast between high and low body condition loss to be determined (ESR5).
4. Assessment of the effects of -6: 3 fatty acid ratios in the diet of sows and the supplementation of piglet diet with seaweed, on growth and health parameters has been investigated in linked studies with multiple samples from feeding trials. Proteomic analysis has demonstrated the effect of -6: 3 fatty acid ratio on serum or plasma in sows and piglets and on ileum proteins demonstrating the benefit of reducing the -6 and increasing 3 fatty acids in the diet fatty acid in the diet (ESR1). Faecal samples from the pigs in these trials were studied with development of microbiota and metabolome analysis systems (ESR7). Porcine muscle with extreme values for ω-6: ω-3 fatty acid (FA) ratio has been examined by sequence analysis of RNA with 432 genes shown to be differentially expressed (ESR8). Further study in dairy cows fed with different types of essential fatty acid has demonstrated significant change in the serum proteome (ESR10)
5. The studies on chicken responses to bacterial endotoxin and effects of potential Neutroceuticals demonstrated the potential of natural anti-microbials especially citrus extracts to strengthen innate immunity thus having the potential to reduce the load of antibiotics (ESR3, ESR4). In addition the in vitro studies of on cells from chicken and other species with similar Neutroceuticals have allowed proteomics and genomic studies to further identify the relevant molecular events related to advantages in their use (ESR2).
6. Development of in vitro studies for tissue culture of intestinal cells from pigs, cows and chicken and proteomics and genomic studies has allowed the identification of significant proteome changes in response to modifications of the environment to inclusion of modifiers such as Neutroceuticals (ESR2). Studies using transcriptomics have identified the effects of ω -3 fatty acids on immune cells using cell based in vitro assays thus allowing identification of the genes involved in these host response reactions (ESR9).
7. Using a method developed during the project, exosomes were isolated from both sow milk and colostrum collected during the pig trial. The effects of -6: 3 fatty acid ratios in the diet of sows (Objective 4) on the milk and colostrum was assessed using proteomics, metabolomics and lipidomics to provide a deep assessment of changes in milk and colostrum induced by alteration of the feed (ESR6).
8. A web interface, called OMnalysis, has been developed that can be used by all researchers from within and outside the project for integration of data from their omics studies in order to combine genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic results to allow integrated evaluation of study data (ESR11)
The exploitation of the results have been achieved with one patent application on the OMnalysis software and with the findings of the nutritional studies being available for use by industry partners. The dissemination of the project results has been achieved by the presentation of results at national and international meeting (91 by all ESRs) and the publication of 19 papers in peer reviewed publications with additional manuscripts to be submitted for publication.
