Building Better Poultry: Reflections on the 2010 International Poultry Exhibition (IPE) and Scientific Forum in Atlanta, GA

In the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (HarperCollins Publishers, May 2007) author Barbara Kingsolver takes her family on a journey to eat from their own hand and land for a year. Needing supplemental protein to their largely seasonal vegetarian diet, she laments at one point the possibility that turkey have largely lost their ability to breed in the wild as it has been selectively engineered out of them by the advancement of science throughout the history of agribusiness (probably the second oldest human profession). She finds a place to obtain some ‘wild breeding conserved’ birds with the hope that she can assist in the effort to give nature a chance to reclaim its rightful place as master of the reproductive and parenting cycle right in her very own backyard.


As the turkey industry has an extremely long history of artificial insemination one might conclude that Kingsolver faces an uphill battle, but I am certain that her locavoire dedication will succeed nonetheless. I know this from my own personal experience travelling Interstate 89 in Vermont to and from work everyday, where wild turkeys graze year round next to the highway shoulder completely unaware that they cannot manage in the wild (these turkeys seem more at risk from their own lack of grazing intelligence than their inability to reproduce naturally). In this day and age there is room for indistinguishable, mass produced, genetically engineered, hyper vaccinated, nutritionally supplemented commercial flocks living in high rise pens; small European style backyard coops; and, free ranging wild poultry that still have the capability to produce their own antibodies against avian diseases and incubate, hatch, and raise their own clutch of chicks (grazing ground choices aside).


As supportive as I am (or maybe am not but should be for the sake of political correctness) of the organizations who request we consider adopting rescued chickens as domestic pets to help end their inhumane suffering at the hands of the poultry industry, after attending the IPE I have to offer some perspective. Suffice it to say that the rearing, feeding, and psychological and physical health care of commercial birds is better than a significant percentage of the world’s human population – including many who gain vital economic sustenance by farming them. Nigeria, where malnutrition and starvation is a stark reality, is actively promoting the ‘maximization of the value chain in animal production technology to assist livestock farmers’. They have also discovered the economic benefits of ‘utilizing roasted fluted pumpkin pod husk waste to feed chickens with a result of 20% inclusion in the diet translating to the highest profit per bird’. Other research includes ‘comparing enriched and barren rearing environments for their effect on the welfare related behavior of commercial layer chicks and pullets’. Essential oils are studied for their ability to inhibit growth of Clostridium perfringens. Creative enzymatic compositions of fodder are designed to nurture pleasure and loyalty of the poultry to feed, reduce sensitivity to stress, aid digestive secretions, balance intestinal micro flora, fight salmonella, reduce ammonia volatilization in broiler litter, and produce lower nitrogen levels in poultry waste. Did you know that green energy is being manufactured from turkey litter? That chopped switch grass is being evaluated as a sustainable litter material? Science is busy worldwide in the poultry industry, and not only in the name of my eating enjoyment and the well being of the fowl that contribute to it, but to assist those in need of economic independence, and to preserve healthy aquifers and soils that sustain life on this planet.


Speaking of environmental sustainability, it was a major theme of the Expo. Though certainly a noble endeavor and essential business decision anyway, let’s face it - even to a casual observer at a show like the IPE it is the pursuit of the perfect, succulent cut of fowl worthy of godlike status that appears to be the true driving force behind this industry - producing superstar, Olympian gold medal chicken clones strutting amazingly luscious breast meat that won’t sicken or kill the consumer once eaten (the mature birds shown in trade journal advertisements are missing only a pair of 3-inch red stiletto heels). Oh, and I can’t forget to mention the genetic and biochemical sculpting in place to produce the masterpieces that are today’s pristinely shaped, thick and smooth-shelled eggs with creamy, consistently round, deep yellow, high Omega-3, low cholesterol yolks that are unfortunately unable to ever hatch. The scientific art in place to produce the eggs that do hatch, in the laboratory and prolifically, is actively at work as well. While walking around in an IPE stupor I found a poultry museum exhibit on the trade show floor and was absolutely astounded that it resembled a Petite Galerie de Volaille Historique rather than a Volaille du Louvre.



But, let me refocus on Kingsolver’s poultry experiment to avoid any further digression (it is a blog after all). Her turkeys successfully grown, the unfortunate fate that awaited them came by her own hand on her own land as well (femivores take note). Her description of the slaying was a somber and spiritually troubling segment in her journey that left me without an appetite and asking myself why I ever gave up a vegan diet. That for most of us this final act is performed by a largely invisible and unspoken ‘Slaughter and Evisceration’ segment of agribusiness should be each consumer’s loudly spoken thanks before any poultry meal. Rubber picking fingers that are “good to the last feather” leaves very little to the imagination. Just as Kingsolver was moved to do, I have enhanced my own elaborate blessings on these birds for their sacrifice to privileged consumption. I also secretly wonder (again, I’m watching my political correctness here) why she didn’t just simply take up turkey hunting and find a collegial locaviore to do the rest.


In conclusion I remember the proverbial question we have all considered at one time or another – “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” Having attended the gargantuan IPE that leaves not one part of the poultry industry a mystery (except a primary breeders gene pool), one could cynically conclude that the answer to this question has become an evolutionary mute point. Not me. Regardless of how I receive sustenance from precious fowl specimens, be they farm, forest, otherwise hatched, or just admired out the window while driving to work, my natural curiosity will continue to contemplate the answer to this great meaning of life question. As I find myself pondering it while I first sanctify then dine on the delectable piece of chicken breast that I hope is imported from Nigeria by my local national food chain rotisserie bistro, I am inspired to raise my glass of French chardonnay chosen to perfectly complement my meal and declare a toast - vivà la poultry industry quest to provide economic and environmental sustainability while building better poultry! And eggs. Bon Appetite.

Algae and Energy in the Northeast Conference

A conference entitled “Algae and Energy in the Northeast” was held at the Davis center on the University of Vermont campus in Burlington Vermont on March 17 and 18. This conference, which had approximately 150 attendees from across the US, was cosponsored by the University of Vermont, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, and Vermont EPSCoR. Its intent was to bring together experts in algae, biofuels and sustainable energy practices with the goal to foster interactions between these separate groups. The keynote speaker, Dr. Al Darzin, is a Program Manager at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden Colorado.

Talks and discussions at the conference revolved around the use of algae as a means to produce biofuels to offset the use of fossil fuels for transportation. Algae are a much better alternative than either corn or soybean for the production of biofuels. Algae can produce as much as 100 fold more fuel per acre of land than either of the currently being used sources and does not compete as a human or animal food source. The extreme density at which algae can grow requires large amounts of carbon dioxide, which exceeds the capacity of normal gas diffusion from the air. As such, commercial endeavors are generally intimately associated with natural gas or coal fired energy production plants, which produce copious amounts of CO2 as a waste byproduct. The CO2 is piped to the algae farm where it is bubbled into the production ponds. The production of an energy source from a greenhouse gas waste product has the potential to reduce the carbon footprint of transportation by offsetting the use of more fossil fuel. In addition to fuel production phytoplankton algae can also be used for several different waste water processes including farm waste, human and gray water remediation.

The meeting ended with a round table discussion lead by the conference speakers. Despite the information provided at the conference the field of algae farming as a commercial process is still in its infancy. Descisions on land usage and the overall goal need to be made. While some infrastructure exists, this needs to be expanded considerably before it is a viable option to conventional fossil fuels.

Hepatocyte Assays in 384-Well Microtiter Plates

Cytochrome P450 enzymes are key players in the metabolism of drugs within the body. Therefore, it is essential to understand how these enzymes can be affected by xenobiotics with regards to inhibition, induction, and toxicity to avoid potential drug-drug interactions. Typically this information has been gathered by combining the data from multiple experiments. This process is time-consuming and labor intensive. And it may lead to misinterpretation when combining the data due to the variability in each assay. A multiplexed format provides a method to obtain multiple readouts from a single microplate well, which may attenuate these concerns. Here we show the ability to monitor CYP1A and -3A induction, combined with cytotoxicity measurements, from a single well using cryopreserved hepatocytes. The assay utilizes BioTek’s EL406 Combination Washer Dispenser, Precision Microplate Pipetting System, and Synergy H4 Multimode Microplate Reader.

The assay is carried out over a five day process. Cryopreserved hepatocytes are thawed, diluted, and plated into Collagen I coated microtiter plates. After a media exchange on day two, the cells are incubated over a 48-hour period with a titration of various compounds. Following the completion of the incubation period, two separate substrates are added to the cells to monitor the induction of the cytochrome P450 enzymes. Luciferin-IPA from Promega Corporation is used in conjunction with CYP3A, and Resorufin Ethyl Ether is used with CYP1A. Luciferin-IPA is cleaved by the CYP3A enzyme present in the well to create luciferin. The luciferin then reacts with luciferase and ATP from the Luciferin Detection Reagent to create a stable luminescent signal. The Resorufin Ethyl Ether is also converted to Resorufin by CYP1A, and fluorescence is then detected upon excitation. Finally, CellTiter-Glo is added to measure cell viability in each well. Figure 1 explains the procedure in more detail.

Due to the fact that primary hepatocytes are incorporated, coupled with the multi-day assay procedure, sample sterility is essential during the entire process. This was accomplished by placing the two instruments used for aspiration and dispensing, the EL406 and Precision, each into standard biosafety cabinets.

Data was analyzed in order to determine fold induction of the two cytochrome P450 enzymes and cell viability from each concentration of compound. By using this type of analysis (see Figure 2), it is easy to see the effect that the compound has on the two CYP enzymes. Rifampicin, a well known CYP3A inducer shows high fold induction of the enzyme across a wide range of concentrations, but does not show any effect on CYP1A, as expected.

Figure 3 further demonstrates how the cell viability measurement can be used to help explain the changes in fold induction that are seen across each compound titration. Lansoprazole induces CYP1A at lower concentrations of the compound, but then this effect decreases dramatically above 50 µM. By including the viability measurement, it becomes obvious that this decrease is due to cytotoxicity from the compound at higher concentrations.


The data and process explained here demonstrate how automated, multiplexed cell-based CYP assays can simplify workload, save time and effort, and generate the data needed from today’s ADME/Tox laboratory.

What ADME/Tox assays would you like to see multiplexed? How can BioTek simplify the workload and processes that are currently in place in your lab?

The 49th Annual Meeting of the Society of Toxicology in Salt Lake City

The 49th annual SOT meeting was held from March 7 to March 11 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City Utah. The conference had 210 sessions that accounted for 2,405 presentations. While the exact number of attendees had not yet been announced several vendors suggested the number of attendees (not counting vendors) was around 4,000, which was less than the year before. The poor economy of the previous year was blamed for the drop off in attendance.

While I was not able to attend many of the talks, there were numerous poster presentations that brought large numbers into the exhibition show floor. Unlike many meeting that I have attended, posters were only available for viewing 3 hours, with a new group of posters being put up morning in afternoon each day.

In regards to the exhibition, BioTek was the only microplate instrumentation company exhibiting at the show. Traditional reagent companies were also limited, with Enzo Life Sciences and Promega being the most notable. The exhibition boasted a large number of assay service companies offering assay development and ADME/Tox testing. These contract lab service companies were the vast majority of the exhibitors present; with some have immense 40 x 60 booths. There were numerous animal testing equipment companies present. This equipment was primarily for rodents, but animal models also included dogs, rabbits and primates.

This was the first year that BioTek attended the meeting as a vendor and as such had a low priority for booth location. As a result the booth was located closer to Siberia than the front door of the exhibition hall. Despite being located at the far end of the hall and not having BioTek’s name in the published meeting vendor program listing a number of very satisfied customers stopped by the booth.

As with any scientific meeting the presentations and exhibits is only part of the charm. The location is almost as important as the science and this meeting was no different. The city itself is a haven for skiers with several ski resorts located nearby. The locals claim that Utah has the best snow in the country. I found it hard to argue. Many attendees skipped out of talks, came early or planned on staying after the conference to get in some skiing. The weather was pleasant with temps in the 50s each day despite a large amount of snow in the surrounding mountains. Numerous restaurants, including a couple of brewpubs were within walking distance of the convention center. Next year the 50th annual meeting is being held in Washington DC. It should be a good one as well.

Pittsburg Conference Recap

The annual 2010 Pittsburg Conference was held at the Orange County Conference Center in Orlando, FL and boasted nearly 2000 booths with 6700 exhibitors serving the 8000 delegates registered, with more arriving in a continuous stream. As the focus of the conference is on analytical chemistry and applied spectroscopy the conference sponsors included major industry giants such as Agilent, Thermo, Jasco, PerkinElmer, Dionex and myriad others offering a large range of analytical equipment and OEM solutions. The large analytical instrumentation companies made their presence known with expansive booths launching new products with the latest advances in separation technologies feeding samples into high-end MS, AA, ICP-AES and every version of light spectroscopy instrumentation ranging from UV-Vis to NIR.

Waters introduced its latest separations technology launching the Acquity Ultra-high Performance LC system capable of performing separations via up to 8 column/matrices and 24 solvents! Agilent introduced the latest in triple quadrupole mass spectrometers while Shimadzu is in the process of launching a new product for purification and concentration via trapping in a “tunable” particle structure for analysis of dilute analyte as well as the latest in LC-MS instruments. Many of the technologies are focused on analysis with micro- to nanoliter volume samples. In many instances these volumes are pushing the envelope of detection limits forcing instrumentation to become ever more sensitive.



In addition to the exhibition floor, the conference consisted of invited symposia from founders and leaders in the fields of analytical chemistry and spectroscopy, contributed sessions, poster sessions, awards presentations, short courses, networking and technical programs. The technical programs covered a diverse range of focus areas such as Art/Archaeology, Bioanalytical, Drug Discovery, Fuels, Energy and Petrochemicals, Homeland Security/Forensics, Sensors/Integrated Sensor systems, and Spectroscopy with hundreds of presentations each day. BioTek presented a poster at the Sunday evening session titled: Correlation of Sample OD Measurements on a Multi-Volume (Micro) Plate.

This conference appeals to the R&D engineer and systems manufacturers as a large portion of the smaller exhibits showcased the latest in gratings, mirrors, fiber optics, power supplies, heating elements, ceramics, valves, electron generators, controllers, etc., etc. Additional exhibits included labware and analyzers of all fashions as well as pharmaceutical equipment spanning from R&D to production/QC to packaging. Certainly the conference is a spectacle to be seen and excellent resource for information for anyone working in a scientific discipline.