Cobb-Vantress, LLC (“Cobb”) is excited to unveil the 2024 grant recipients for the Cobb Research Initiative (CRI). These new grant recipients join the original nine recipients from the 2023 CRI funding.
The Cobb Research Initiative (CRI) aims to advance poultry genetics by fostering collaborations across diverse scientific research fields. These partnerships will help Cobb control and prevent poultry diseases, improve animal health and welfare outcomes, reduce production costs, and enhance product quality while advancing sustainability needs.
“We received many high quality research proposals from scientists around the world,” said Dr. William Herring, Vice President of Research and Development at Cobb. “Nearly half of the submissions were from international institutions, underscoring that the research community, globally, wants to partner with Cobb. We also saw that the research community is very aware of Cobb’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology as more than one-quarter of the submissions centered around artificial intelligence (AI) and precision farming.”
With a focus to progress food security, safety, sustainability and efficiency, the CRI’s goal is to benefit the global poultry supply chain, and ultimately, consumers. Partnerships with researchers from a variety of fields, even beyond poultry, is vital to gain fresh insights and be able to discover and develop new tools that can be used across the industry, including genetic development.
Joyce J. Lee, President of Cobb, stated, “As a pioneering genetics company, Cobb stands at the vanguard of the convergence of science, technology, and animal health. Our ongoing funding serves as a testament to Cobb’s unwavering commitment to genetic advancement, underscored by our acute awareness that the global appetite for healthy, sustainable and affordable protein is on the rise. To propel genetic progress and tackle pressing challenges in the chicken industry worldwide, we must harness cutting-edge research, innovative technology, and data-driven insights.”
2024 grant recipients are listed below, and you can learn more about the Cobb Research Initiative, including research priorities at www.CobbResearchInitiative.com.
| 2024 Cobb Research Initiative Grant Recipients | ||
| Researcher | Project Title | Institution |
| Jean-Sebastien Spratt | Virtual Data Powered AI for Precision Health Phenotype Tracking | Prophet AI Inc. |
| Owen Powell | Digital twins for better broilers | Queensland Alliance for Agriculture & Food Innovation, The University of Queensland |
| Edgar O. Oviedo-Rondón | Understanding the effects of early pullet nutrition on egg production, fertility, egg traits, CAM and embryo development, hatchability, chick quality, and progeny performance. | North Carolina State University |
| Steven C. Ricke | Development of a broad-spectrum targeted Salmonella bacteriophage biosanitizer for hatcheries | University of Wisconsin-Madison |
About Cobb
Cobb-Vantress LLC, a leading poultry genetics company, makes quality protein accessible, healthy, and affordable worldwide. Our research and technology innovates the global poultry industry. Founded in 1916, we are the world’s oldest pedigree broiler breeding company and we distribute poultry to more than 100 countries. Find more at cobbvantress.com.
