Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Canada
My main research line is Precision Feeding and Nutrition. In this field, we study individual metabolic responses and pig requirements, aiming to decrease Pork Production's environmental and economic costs. Using equipment to measure individual growth performance in real-time, we allow pigs to eat ad libitum with diets tailored daily for each one of them, meeting their biological needs while decreasing workforce labour.
My research interests include using mathematical modelling and artificial intelligence to improve estimates of individual amino acid requirements of pigs and for early disease detection. I am also interested in using stable isotopes to study protein and energy metabolism in pigs in order to tailor diets to individual needs, minimize nutrient excretion, and allow greater use of alternative feeds in pig nutrition. Our current projects aim to understand the variability in lipid and protein deposition among pigs raised in similar conditions. Additionally, we research how enzymes used as an alternative to antibiotics have different effects on different pigs. The last will help to better tailor individual solutions to avoid the use of antibiotics in pigs and to improve their robustness.
Our precision feeding projects focus on solutions to decrease pig carbon footprint through nutritional strategies.