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Scientific Expertise and a State-of-the-Art Facility: The Foundation for Developing Amlan’s Natural and Efficacious Products

February 18, 2021
Still image from INNOVATION NATION interview with Dr. Hongyu Xue MD, PhD, at Research Laboratory.

With cutting-edge equipment and state-of-the-art facilities, Amlan’s talented Life Sciences team creates value-adding mineral-based products for poultry and livestock producers. The Richard M. Jaffee Center for Applied Microbiology houses the specialized equipment used by the Life Sciences team who draw upon their extensive research experience and knowledge base to create novel, natural solutions that improve poultry and livestock health and production efficiency.

Life Science Experts

The Amlan research team is led by Life Sciences Director Hongyu Xue MD, PhD, an experienced scientist in clinical and animal nutrition, who brings a unique point of view to Amlan’s research by leveraging his expertise in human medicine. Dr. Xue has a background in academic medicine and research that cross-links gastroenterology, immunology, microbiology and nutrition. Working with Dr. Xue is a multi-disciplinary team of scientists with expertise across microbiology, animal nutrition, chemistry and material science areas. Several members of the Life Sciences team were recently featured on an episode of “Built in America: INNOVATION NATION” on the Fox Business Network, where they showcased some of their novel research.

Cutting-Edge Equipment

The state-of-the-art equipment in the Richard M. Jaffee Center for Applied Microbiology allows the Life Sciences experts to use a variety of research techniques to develop and assess new mineral-based products for the animal health market.

The Life Sciences team enhances Amlan’s unique mineral to develop natural solutions that can control the microbial pathogens that negatively impact the health and productivity of poultry and livestock. To do this, the scientists study these pathogens and their toxins to understand their physiology and mode of action. Some pathogens require anerobic conditions to survive, so these pathogens are cultivated in Amlan’s anerobic chamber — a more efficient and robust method than alternative techniques such as anerobic jar or pouch systems.

Conditions within the chamber can perfectly mimic the anerobic environment of the distal gastrointestinal (GI) tract (e.g., ileum and cecum) which serves as the primary colonization site for a vast variety of common microbial pathogens for poultry and livestock. The anaerobic chamber is of tremendous value to help Amlan’s scientists cultivate and further characterize the target pathogens and select commensal microbial populations colonizing the distal GI tract. Further, the chamber also enables the scientists to screen novel products in development and evaluate their antimicrobial effects for certain anaerobic pathogens. Novel strains of beneficial bacteria (probiotics) can also be isolated, grown and tested in the anerobic chamber. The photo below shows an example of the zone of inhibition surrounding an Amlan-developed probiotic (right) versus a water control (left).

Close-up of petri dish.

Further assessment of the new products can be conducted using equipment such as an ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer) that allows the team to examine how different cations released by Amlan’s unique mineral affects bacterial virulence. Some metals (cations) are known to suppress the expression of virulence genes in bacterial pathogens.

The lab also includes a fluorescent microscope that enables microbes to be observed instantly to see a product’s effect on bacterial morphology and viability.

Using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the Life Sciences team have developed methods to detect toxin genes from microbial pathogens that can have negative effects on poultry and livestock production. Using this information, natural solutions can be developed that disarm these pathogens and help protect birds and animals from disease. For example, real-time PCR is used to investigate the effects of new products on pathogen virulence gene expression. Further, this technology can help determine the copy numbers of specific virulence genes and help make an early diagnosis of specific enteric diseases in poultry and livestock.

The Richard M. Jaffee Center for Applied Microbiology is named after the former chairman of Oil-Dri Corporation of America, doing business as Amlan International. Jaffee’s pioneering spirit and vision for Oil-Dri to conduct research in the life sciences is the influence behind Amlan’s focus on developing value-added next-generation animal health products.

To learn more about the research behind Amlan’s natural and efficacious products, visit https://amlan.com/blog/category/research-studies/.

An Antivirulence Approach to Controlling Bacteria: AGP Alternatives in Development at the Richard M. Jaffee Center for Applied Microbiology

November 23, 2020
Computer-generated image of bacteria.

The rise of multi-drug-resistant and mutant bacteria, which don’t respond to antibiotic treatment, is a concerning trend across the world. With the use of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) restricted in an increasing number of countries, livestock and poultry industries are looking for antibiotic-free alternatives that keep animals and birds healthy and productive. Amlan International’s Richard M. Jaffee Center for Applied Microbiology is developing industry-leading technology that helps livestock and poultry producers achieve peak antibiotic-free-performance.

Discovering new methods to combat the prevalence of resistant and mutant pathogens is just one of the topics scientists at the Richard M. Jaffee Center for Applied Microbiology are investigating. The research team at Amlan’s new state-of-the-art lab are using an antivirulence approach to control pathogens, which has also been a research focus for developing new antimicrobial drugs for humans.

Novel Alternative to Antibiotics

Unlike conventional antibiotics, antivirulence approach targets bacterial virulence factors and is aimed at disarming pathogens and modifying their behaviors by making them less harmful (less virulent) to the host. The likelihood for multi-drug-resistant and mutant bacteria is much less using this approach.

There are many options for controlling pathogens using an antivirulence approach. These antivirulence targets include:

  • Toxins
  • Secretion systems
  • Quorum sensing
  • Host-pathogen signaling
  • Adhesins
  • Biofilm formation
  • Siderophores
  • Immune evasion

Previous research at Amlan International showed exciting promise in the quorum sensing area. The Richard M. Jaffee Center for Applied Microbiology continues to conduct quorum sensing research as one component of the overall antivirulence approach to improving livestock and poultry health and production.

Bacteria Can Communicate

Quorum sensing is a communication system between bacterial cells that allows bacteria to regulate their activity in response to stimuli. This communication system involves bacteria releasing biochemicals into the environment which accumulate in the surrounding area until reaching a critical threshold concentration1. The biochemicals then bind to receptors on the bacteria, signaling gene expression.

Quorum sensing can control many functions in bacteria2 including:

  • Bacterial population
  • Virulent gene expression
  • Bioluminescence
  • Pigment generation
  • Bacterial swarming
  • Biofilm formation

Quorum Quenching Silences Bacteria

Quorum quenching is an approach which can disrupt the quorum sensing system of pathogenic bacteria, preventing cell-to-cell communication and the expression of virulence genes that could lead to their infection in the host. Quorum quenching products should reduce the chance of antibiotic resistance, since they are modifying bacteria behavior rather than killing them.

Calibrin®-Z Disrupts Quorum Sensing

Evidence of quorum quenching by Amlan’s Calibrin®‑Z biotoxin control product was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The research team at the Richard M. Jaffee Center for Applied Microbiology are continuing to build on these positive results and further quorum sensing research.

The previous study illustrated that in vitro, quorum sensing molecules can be separated out by adsorption or catalytically broken down into small fragments by Calibrin-Z. By reducing the concentration of quorum sensing biochemicals, the products can potentially disrupt the ability of pathogenic bacteria to produce toxins or reduce their virulence, since these functions are controlled through quorum sensing.

Additionally, due to their stronger acidity, greater pore volume and greater surface area, in the same study Calibrin-Z performed better then silica, illite and kaolinite as catalysts/adsorbents in quorum sensing molecule removal.

When incubated with Vibrio harveyi, a bacterium that exhibits bioluminescence controlled via quorum signaling, Calibrin-Z reduced bacterial luminescence by 55% (from the area under the curve; Figure 1). While this demonstrated that interference in quorum sensing occurred, the bacterial numbers were not impacted, indicating the reduction in bioluminescence was achieved through quorum quenching and not by killing bacteria.

Bacterial luminescence graph.

Figure 1: Bacterial luminescence from a Vibrio harveyi culture treated with different concentrations of Calibrin-Z. Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp) was used as a non-luminescent negative control. At 10 mg/mL, Calibrin-Z reduced bacterial luminescence by 55% (area under the curve).

Quorum sensing is just one of the virulence factors being investigated by the research team at the Richard M. Jaffee Center for Applied Microbiology. Similarly, the antivirulence approach is just one of the next-gen technologies that is being developed in the lab to maximize livestock and poultry producer’s profits by improving the health and productivity of their flock or herd.

Stay tuned for more information about the innovative research conducted inside the Richard M. Jaffee Center for Applied Microbiology.

References

  1. Naik, S.P., Scholin, J., Ching, S., Chi, F. and Herpfer, M. (2018). Quorum Sensing Disruption in Vibrio harveyi Bacteria by Clay Materials. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 66 (1), 40-44. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.7b03918
  2. Williams, P. (2007) Quorum Sensing, Communication and Cross Kingdom Signalling in the Bacterial World. Microbiology, 153 (12), 3923−3938. DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.2007/012856-0

Richard M. Jaffee Center for Applied Microbiology: Next-Gen Technology Driving Progress in Livestock Production

November 2, 2020
Richard M. Jaffee Center for Applied Microbiology Laboratory | Amlan International

Products that prevent pathogenic bacteria from communicating with each other? This is just one of the next‑generation technologies that scientists are developing at Amlan International’s innovative new and improved Richard M. Jaffee Center for Applied Microbiology.

Amlan’s commitment to microbiology research began when their original laboratory opened in 2017 and further strengthened with the expansion of the Richard M. Jaffee Center for Applied Microbiology in October 2019. The new center provides the company with a cutting‑edge facility to accelerate novel animal health and life sciences research. With state-of-the-art equipment, the R&D team can isolate and cultivate both beneficial and pathogenic bacteria and investigate the antimicrobial effects of Amlan’s next‑generation, natural products.

The new lab is a certified Biosafety Level 2 laboratory, equipped with the technical and diagnostic resources of a traditional microbiology lab, as well as molecular biology, immunology and cell biology capabilities. It’s located near the company’s original R&D center, the Nick Jaffee Center for Innovation in Vernon Hills, Illinois. The 6,000-square-foot facility houses the life sciences team and a high‑tech laboratory space.

Novel Approach to No-Antibiotics-Ever Production

By developing innovative animal health solutions for Amlan’s customers, the research team is simultaneously tackling the global issue of antibiotic resistance. The scientists are using an antivirulence approach to control enteric disease in livestock by developing products that can modify pathogen behavior, making them less virulent (friendlier). This antivirulence approach can improve the production and health of flocks or herds while reducing the tendency to select for resistant or mutant bacteria that is seen with the use of conventional antibiotics.

“The new lab allows our life science research team to access a wide variety of state-of-the-art equipment, such as real-time PCR, an anaerobic chamber and florescent microscopy,” says Dr. Hongyu Xue, Life Sciences Director at Amlan. “We are trying to disarm the microbial pathogens by targeting their virulence factors in this facility.”

The life sciences team can also analyze the synergistic capabilities of the company’s proprietary enterosorbent mineral formulated with other feed additives, leading to the development of new products that can provide even greater returns on investment for poultry and livestock producers.

By incorporating best production practices, natural feed additive programs and pioneering innovation that targets virulence factors, producers should be able to reduce inputs in animal diets, enhance intestinal health of food animals and improve production efficiency for the entire industry.

“This new lab enables us to bring new ideas and products to the marketplace like never before,” says Flemming Mahs, President, Amlan International. “Science and research are the foundation of our discovery process to improve animal performance by protecting their intestinal health.”

Stay tuned for more information about the innovative research conducted inside the Richard M. Jaffee Center for Applied Microbiology.

Brazilian Cooperative featured in “Innovation Nation” Episode

October 9, 2020
Nación de la innovación Glauber

In educating consumers about the value and uses for natural mineral additives, Amlan is also focusing on ways to support integrators who are moving to antibiotic-free (ABF) production to meet consumer and regulatory demands.

In the August 30, 2020, episode of “Built in America: INNOVATION NATION” on the Fox Business Network, millions of viewers in the U.S. went behind the scenes at Amlan International to learn about the company’s extensive research into minerals and animal health. Through this research, Amlan’s patented products and mineral technologies aim to solve many problems in the livestock industry and more.

“We were incredibly honored to host the show and share how our products are part of the very diverse food supply chain to the public,” says Flemming L. Mahs, President of Amlan International. “We are proud of our extensive R&D team and are committed to creating a safe, nutritious food system.”

The show interviewed Amlan employees, industry leaders and walked through the many research laboratories at the Richard M. Jaffee Center for Applied Microbiology to understand what goes into their animal health product research. Watch the episode here.

In the episode, Dr. Glauber Sartori Maier, Animal Nutritionist for Coasul Cooperativa Agroindustrial, an agricultural cooperative with 9,000 associates in 28 cities in the southern part of Brazil, shared his company’s experiences incorporating Varium® as they moved to antibiotic-free poultry production.

Dr. Maier emphasizes the urgency of adopting innovative technology to produce enough quality food, at acceptable prices, for a growing world population. He says that Coasul exports nearly 30 million birds per year, which is about 60 percent of their total annual production. The company made adjustments to its production practices to accommodate global market demand for poultry raised without antibiotics.

“I have no doubt that antibiotic-free production will continue to grow in the world. It’s much easier to grow birds without the use of antibiotics to promote growth than producers realize,” Maier says.

When moving to ABF, Maier says it is important to make sure every other aspect of production is on point. Here are three areas that changed for Coasul:

  1. Gut health is the key starting point. Improving feed conversion and production efficiency allowed birds to grow to the same weight with less feed.
  2. Drier litter is also a result of improving gut health. Drier litter in chicken houses improves the health and quality of chicken feet, which is a very profitable, high-demand product in China.
  3. Healthy birds are calmer. In general, healthier animals are less likely to peck or scratch other birds, which helps ensure the highest standards of meat quality and skin.

“Many producers are afraid to stop using antibiotics because they believe the performance of the animals will decline and it will result in spending more money to produce the same quantity of meat. In our case, the results are better using Varium, and our costs are lower,” Maier says.

For more information about transitioning to AFP in poultry, read these other blogs from Amlan International:

Strategies for Producing Antibiotic-Free Poultry
Efficiently Raising Antibiotic-Free Broilers
Natural Growth Promoter for Poultry Demonstrates 10:1 ROI, Better Than Antibiotics Alone

Innovation and Sustainability: Two Hallmarks of Amlan International

September 2, 2020
Built In America Innovation Nation

Behind the walls of Amlan International research centers, innovation is churning out new discoveries from ancient minerals. Those new discoveries are creating sustainable solutions to help meet consumer demand and preferences.

Featured in the August 30, 2020, episode of “Built in America: INNOVATION NATION” on the Fox Business Network, Amlan International took viewers behind the scenes at Amlan International to learn more about the company’s extensive commitment to mineral and animal health research. You can see the episode here.

The episode showcases how Amlan’s unique mineral-based formulations are used in a wide variety of products including livestock feed. In the episode, Dr. Hongyu Xue, Amlan’s Director of Life Sciences, explains how Varium, a formulated natural feed additive, helps chicken flocks remain healthy and can protect against bacterial diseases. Amlan International technical research manager Dr. San Ching, Microbiologists Dr. Dongping Wang and Dr. Shalaka Shinde, and Vice President of New Technologies Dr. Marc Herpfer give viewers an easy-to-understand explanation of how and why the mineral-based technology helps protect animal health.

Industry leaders were also interviewed for the episode. Dr. Glauber Sartori Maier, Nutricionista Animal at Coasul Cooperativa Agroindustrial (Brazil) explains why his company added a natural, antibiotic-alternative to their poultry production operations. Content Director Terrence O’Keefe, WATT Global Media, expands on the global influences that have contributed to the increase in antibiotic-free poultry production.

Throughout the episode, viewers will find a new appreciation for how minerals impact their daily life. “The safety and integrity of our global food supply have never been more important,” says Flemming L. Mahs, President of Amlan International. “The recent COVID-19 pandemic has brought forth several questions surrounding food safety and food security. We are proud to share how our products are helping to address food supply challenges while also meeting consumer preferences on a global scale.”

Only the top, world-renowned companies are selected to be featured in episodes of “INNOVATION NATION,” created by executive producer Rachel Mitchell of Elevate Media Productions LLC. The award-winning host John McCalmont leads viewers on a journey to find out how companies are succeeding in a sustainable way.

In the episode, viewers see how Amlan International and Oil-Dri Corporation of America have created novel solutions for customers worldwide, starting with Oil-Dri’s first oil-absorbing product developed by founder Nick Jaffee in 1941 to prevent people from slipping on garage floors.

Daniel Jaffee, President and CEO of Oil-Dri and grandson of Nick Jaffee, shares the commitment the company has to creating new solutions from sorbent minerals. “My dad and I believed that minerals found deep in the earth would help us create new solutions. We are finally seeing the benefits that Mother Nature holds being used in a way that brings even greater value to our communities and across the globe.”

Watch the full episode below:

Amlan International

Oil-Dri Corporation of America (NYSE: ODC), a Delaware corporation doing business as “Amlan International,” is a global leader in proven solutions that improve the intestinal health and productivity of livestock. Amlan has grown its product offering across the intestinal health and AGP-alternative market, driven largely by the research conducted at its laboratory campus in Vernon Hills, Illinois. Flemming L. Mahs is President of Amlan International, a subsidiary of Oil-Dri Corporation of America.

Varium is available for purchase outside of the United States. Product associated claims do not constitute medical claims and may differ based on government requirements. Product availability may vary by country.

Quorum sensing: The future of animal gut health

February 20, 2019
QuoremSensing

Source: AllAboutFeed.net, 20 Feb 2019

By: Dr Hongyu Xue Director, Life Sciences, Amlan International

Understanding how bacterial communication results in virulence is providing new insights into animal gut health and disease, insights that today’s feed industry can leverage now.

The risk of disease is a fact of life for farmers, ranchers and food animal producers whether they are raising crops, pigs, poultry, fish or shrimp. Disease results from a pathophysiologic process that involves not only the pathogen (e.g. bacterium, virus or fungus) but also the host’s microbiota and immune response. At the root of enteric infections is an imbalance in the intestinal immune-microbiota axis. Consequently, the complex interactions between feed, microbiome and host immune system have emerged as a primary focus for devising new strategies to combat livestock intestinal health issues.

Click Here to read the full story.

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