USDA's Agricultural Research Service Honors Scientists of the Year

Apr 14, 2022

For his outstanding contributions to veterinary virology and discovery and development of vaccines against African Swine Fever (ASF), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist Manuel Borca is the agency's Distinguished Senior Research Scientist of the Year for 2022.

Borca, research microbiologist for ARS's Plum Island Animal Disease Control's Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit in Orient Point, New York, is one of many ARS researchers being honored for their scientific achievements.

Borca's research contributed to the vaccine development for diseases that pose threats to U.S. pork industries: Classical Swine Fever and ASF. He conducted research focused on understanding host-viral interactions to inform the development of vaccines specifically designed to control disease outbreaks.

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Video: Synthetic Microbiota Explained - Dr. Alexandre Thibodeau

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Alexandre Thibodeau, from the University of Montreal, explains how synthetic microbiota and bioreactor systems can help researchers study gut microorganisms, evaluate feed additives, investigate Salmonella control strategies, and develop alternatives to animal trials. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Bioreactor models can screen microbiota solutions before animal trials, lowering costs and reducing the number of pigs needed."

Meet the guest: Dr. Alexandre Thibodeau / alexandre-thibodeau-2493a540 is an Associate Professor at the University of Montreal, in Canada, with a PhD in Veterinary Science and Microbiology. His work focuses on swine gut health, food safety, microbiota research, pathogen control, and alternative research models that support animal production and welfare. His research explores innovative strategies to better understand interactions among microorganisms and to improve livestock health outcomes. Learn more from Dr. Alexandre Thibodeau on The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, available on all major platforms.