​BEMB Trust support new Post Graduate project  2020 - 2024
 
It is the policy of the BEMB Research and Education Trust to fund a Post Graduate Award every other year for research into projects relating to hen egg production.  Each Award is for a period of 4 years and sponsorship is based upon BBSRC rates.

The Trust has identified research towards the longer term control of infestations of poultry red mite (PRM), Gallinae dermanyssus, as a particular topic for study at the current time but also considers other topics it considers important to the UK egg industry. After a call for new projects during 2019, the Trustees are pleased to confirm that a PhD project presented by Dr Shahriar Behboudi PhD DVM of the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey, entitled "Control of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli by non-antibiotic compounds inducing trained immunity of chicken macrophages" will receive funding from the BEMB Trust for the period 2020 to 2024. James Adams who has recently completed a MSc in Biological Sciences Research at the Royal Holloway University of London has been appointed to complete this new PhD project.  

The Trustees have also awarded pump priming funds to Dr Stewart Burgess BSc PhD, Moredun Research Institute for a project entitled "Elucidating the molecular basis of red poultry mite chemoreception and host location behaviour." This project will commence in March 2020 and be completed as part of an ongoing BEMB sponsored PhD project at Greenwich University in October 2022.
 

'What is next for UK egg production in a growing and increasingly welfare conscious market' is the title of the current BEMB Trust sponsored Nuffield Farming Scholar project. 

Hannah Eastaugh, who works as an Agricultural Manager for Noble Foods, started her study tour in 2019 and will complete her final report for presentation to the BEMB Trustees later on in 2020.
Hannah chose her study topic because the UK egg industry is currently going through significant change with many UK retailers announcing their intention to go 'cage free' by 2025 or earlier. "For our industry" explains Hannah, "this means we must explore all production options including the replacement of a great percentage of current colony egg volume with free range. Whilst this is theoretically achievable the question for me is how can this potential increase in volume be produced in such a way that will satisfy the ever increasing numbers of welfare conscious consumers, whilst keeping to commercial production costs"
"I feel this study will bring meaningful data which will not only benefit my own company but also that of the UK egg industry by working closely with the likes of BEIC (British Egg Industry Council) and RSPCA Assured to potentially implement further strategies to improve laying hen production across the UK."