Symposium: Poultry biologics - Introductory remarks in memory of Dr. Mark E. Cook
Chairs:
Vanessa A. Leone & Steven C. Ricke
University of Wisconsin
Kirk C. Klasing
University of California-Davis
Dr. Mark E. Cook, Past President of the Poultry Science Association and PSA Fellow, was a Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who achieved excellence in his academic pursuits and embodied an entrepreneurial spirit. His main research endeavor was to identify innovative dietary strategies to modulate inflammation as a modality to improve animal growth and production endpoints, mainly in poultry. He was co-inventor of the dietary supplement Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) and strategically employed the chicken egg yolk antibody (IgY) technology. Several of Cook’s later discoveries were focused on identifying co-products with biological activity from food animal agriculture that could be repurposed as dietary supplements to promote animal growth and production. The identification of novel compounds possessing unique biological properties derived from or for poultry is an untapped resource with limitless possibilities both within the industry itself and beyond. These co-products can add value to existing birds destined for slaughter, can be used to improve avian production endpoints, and can be repurposed to improve health and wellness in other species, including humans. In order to move the needle and create opportunities for the discovery of novel co-products from poultry production, creative, out-of-the-box thinking is essential. This symposium aims to present an overview of Cook’s innovative research, highlighting ongoing work from his former trainees and colleagues who embody his entrepreneurial spirit and are engaged in identifying novel biologics from and for the poultry industry with an emphasis on the future of the biologics field.