Welcome to my lab

Welcome to Pratima Adhikari lab in Poultry Science Dept. at Mississippi State University. Adhikari lab has a commitment to continually developing both research and teaching. With a passion for discovering new findings and sharing knowledge that is related to poultry science, the lab is stepping towards research and innovation in poultry health, nutrition, management, and diseases. Nutrition plays a major part, especially at the current situation where the world is looking for options for alternative housing systems, our lab is undertaking some research and teaching activities that involve Mississippi and around. 

Research is multidisciplinary and Adhikari lab is always looking for collaborations with poultry industry personnel, research professors and veterinarian, various national and international universities, immunologists, microbiologists, biologists, statisticians, and biostatisticians.

Some of the primary research interests we are looking into are:

1. Housing and laying hens research

- Hens raised in different housing condition and types and relationship between such house type to health, welfare and production parameters associated with the management.

- Production parameters, gut health and bone health of hens housed in the different environment systems. 

2. Challenge study of pathogenic bacteria in poultry 

- Salmonella, E. coli and Campylobacter in both broilers and layers, and different interventions to reduce such pathogens.

3. Nutrition and nutritional intervention study

-Switching to alternative housing systems has brought a couple of questions associated with them such as 1. What would be the requirement of nutrient in chicken raised floor vs. cage environment, 2. What would be their effect on the clean vs. dirty environment? 3. Can prebiotics, probiotics and various dietary alternatives act in a similar way in each different house type?

4. Microbiome study 

- What are the changes in gut microbiota as a result of feeding several nutritional interventions?

- How is the gut microbiota profile of such chickens under different conditions?

5. Lighting and laying hen study

- Role of new lighting technology and their relation with hen welfare, hen health and behavior