Statutory activity

Since establishing in 1955, the research in the Institute has been carried out on mainly on two topics: animal physiology and feeding. According to Professor Jan Kielanowski, the founder of the Institute, the main priorities were ‘to characterize the physiology of farm animals, especially high-productive animals, in order to determine the fundamental rules of rational use of these animals’.

These two issues have been realized during the years, however some specific aims were changed. In May, 2018, the Scientific Committee of the Institute basing on the current achievements of researchers working in the Institute and the necessity to update the research subject matter, set new research fields:

I. Development and animal welfare, and environmental protection
   1. The influence of dietary and hormonal factors on the structure,
        functioning and microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract,
    2. Pro-ecological strategies of animal nutrition,
    3. The immune system of the digestive tract.

II. Livestock and laboratory animals as models in studies on the etiology,
     prevention and therapy of diseases
     1. Inflammation – causes, effects and prevention,
     2. Civilization diseases – development mechanisms, prevention and
         alternative therapies,
     3. Fetal and postnatal programming.

III. Molecular and hormonal regulation of physiological processes
      1. Hypothalamic-pituitary gene and neurosecretory networks,
      2. Functional axis of the brain-intestine-microbiota.

IV. Selected aspects of physiology of wild animals living in natural
     environment and in closed breeding conditions.