The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has a robust research program that includes studies of poultry breeding, especially as it relates to poultry and human health. Here are the ARS units performing research in this area.

(Go here for a complete list of all ARS units working on poultry)

 Bacterial Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Resistance Unit

Richard B. Russell Agricultural Research Center
950 College Station Road
Athens, Georgia 30605

The mission of the Bacterial Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Resistance Unit is to study antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic food borne pathogens and commensal bacteria. Epidemiology, microbiology, risk factor analysis, and molecular techniques are used to: 1) gain an understanding of the prevalence of resistance among food borne pathogens and factors which may affect the development and persistence of resistance in production facilities and in the environment, 2) study the molecular mechanisms that are associated with the development of resistance, and 3) define the role of commensal bacteria in the development and transfer of resistance. The veterinary arm of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System - Enteric Bacteria (NARMS) is also located in our Unit. This program is a multi-agency endeavor involving scientists from the USDA - ARS, FDA - Center for Veterinary Medicine, USDA - FSIS, USDA - APHIS, and the CDC. The goal of the program is to track the development of antimicrobial resistance in veterinary isolates as it arises and disseminate the information to all stakeholders in an attempt to arrest the development and spread of resistance, especially among food borne pathogens. The results generated by these endeavors will enhance our knowledge of antimicrobial resistance and provide the scientific data that is critically needed to direct research among the scientific community and to develop policy in a number of agencies, including the USDA and FDA.

Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory

934 College Station Road
Athens, Georgia 30605

Our mission is to provide scientific solutions to national and international exotic, emerging and endemic poultry viral diseases through a comprehensive research program emphasizing basic and applied research in diagnostics, prevention, and control strategies, prediction of disease outbreaks, molecular epidemiology, and understanding disease pathogenesis. The goals of our research program are to produce new research knowledge and technology to: 1) prevent, reduce or eliminate losses from impaired performance, and increased deaths and condemnations; 2) develop more sensitive, specific and faster diagnostic tests; 3) improve vaccines, and vaccine delivery methods; 4) improve our understanding of the ecology and epidemiology of viruses at the wild bird-domestic poultry interface; and 5) improve our understanding of the genetic and pathobiological basis of virulence. This research provides government regulatory agencies and the poultry industries with improved intervention strategies against poultry viral diseases. The Laboratory has two research units: 1) Exotic and Emerging Avian Viral Diseases Research Unit, and 2) Endemic Poultry Viral Diseases Research Unit.

Exotic and Emerging Avian Viral Diseases Research Unit

934 College Station Road
Athens, Georgia 30605

Our mission is to conduct basic and applied research on avian influenza, Newcastle disease, West Nile and other exotic and emerging viruses of poultry and other birds. The goal of our research program is to produce new research knowledge and technology to: 1) provide science-based solutions to exotic poultry diseases that inhibit international trade in poultry and poultry products; 2) understand the pathogenesis of these viruses in poultry; 3) determine through molecular epidemiology the source for disease outbreaks; and 4) improve our understanding of the mechanisms for transfer of zoonotic viruses from birds-to-man.

Endemic Poultry Viral Diseases Research Unit

934 College Station Road
Athens, Georgia 30605

Our mission is to conduct basic and applied research on avian metapneumovirus, enteric viruses of turkeys and Marek's disease herpesvirus. The goal of our research program is to produce new research knowledge and technology to: 1) provide science-based solutions to minimize productivity and economic losses from domestic poultry diseases; 2) determine through molecular epidemiology the source for disease outbreaks; 3) determine biological and molecular virulence characteristics of these viruses with the goal of minimizing their impact; 4) develop practical and improved diagnostic tools; 5) develop or improve vaccines and vaccine delivery methods; 6) determine the role of immunity during infections; 7) determine the effects of secondary infections on the development of disease; 8) develop engineering systems for reducing transmission and development of disease.

Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory

10300 Baltimore Avenue Building 10140, Room 103
Beltsville MD 20705

The mission of the Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory is to reduce disease in livestock and poultry and to lessen the transmission of zoonotic parasites to people. To do so, we study parasite biodiversity, development, genetics, genomics, and transmission, and seek vaccines and management strategies, based on the physiological and immunological responses of animals to such parasites, to mitigate health risk and economic loss.

Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory

10300 Baltimore Avenue Building 200, Room 217, BARC-East
Beltsville MD 20705

The mission of the Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory (ABBL) is to develop the knowledge and technology to improve the genetic, reproductive and feed efficiency of livestock and poultry by the application of functional genomics and proteomics. Research emphasis includes: identification of genes and their products responsible for nutrient intake and utilization; development of stem cell lines and enhanced nuclear cloning technologies; optimize transgene integration efficiency and fabricate candidate antimicrobial genes; enhance embryo, fetal and neonatal development and survival; improve semen cryobiology and storage techniques and develop alternative strategies for germplasm preservation.

Food and Feed Safety Research Unit

1100 Robert E. Lee Boulevard
New Orleans LA 70124-4305

The mission of the Food and Feed Safety Research Unit addresses priority areas of food safety, health and nutrition, and is directed towards (1) using a genomics approach to gain understanding of the genetic regulation of aflatoxin biosynthesis; (2) characterization of compounds and genes governing production of the antifungal compounds for use in applications to control toxin-producing fungi or other fungi that reduce the quality and safety of food and feed; (3) elucidation, using genomic and proteomic tools, of the complex mechanisms governing expression of genes/enzymes which regulate aflatoxin synthesis during the plant-fungus interaction; and using this knowledge to enhance host-resistance against fungal invasion; (4) manipulation of agroecosystems involving complex interactions between the toxin-producing fungus, other endemic microflora and the crop plant (particularly as affected by climate change) to reduce levels of fungus and/or toxin in field environments; and (5) integration of research information into practical procedures for assuring a safe, domestic supply of food and feed; and enhancing global food security through sustainable agriculture.

Food Processing and Sensory Quality Research Unit

1100 Robert E. Lee Boulevard
New Orleans LA 70124-4305

The mission of the Food Processing and Sensory Quality Research Unit is to develop technologies that will optimize the nutritional, functional, and sensory qualities of agricultural commodities, thus, enhancing their utilization. A multi-disciplined team of scientists are meeting these challenges by: 1) obtaining a basic biochemical understanding of the interactions of food components attributed to flavor (development and deterioration), and functionality of the food and its individual components, 2) scientifically defining and measuring sensory quality in foods before and after processing, 3) designing cost-effective, environmentally-acceptable processes for converting foods and their separated components into value-added products, and 4) developing technologies for predicting and assessing the nutritional, sensory, and processing quality attributes of foods.

Poultry Research Unit

P. O. BOX 5367
Mississippi State MS 39762

The mission of the Poultry Research Unit is to improve poultry health and to improve poultry production efficiency. Disease, engineering, management, nutrition, and rearing environment research are conducted with a multi-disciplinary approach. Poultry health research is directed toward Mycoplasma infections with emphasis on identifying the infections, measuring the losses caused by the infections, and developing technologies to reduce the losses. Poultry production research strives toward reducing costs and improving efficiency which includes the major cost factor in poultry production – nutrition- and also acquiring and applying basic poultry house environmental data to developing systems for maintaining optimum poultry housing conditions. The staff includes an agricultural engineer, an immunologist, two molecular biologists, a research poultry physiologist, two research poultry scientists, and a veterinary medical officer.

Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory

4279 East Mount Hope Road
East Lansing MI 48823

The mission of the Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory is "to provide leadership in solving current and future problems in neoplastic and other viral diseases of poultry using basic and applied multidisciplinary team approaches thereby benefitting the poultry industry and consumers." The Unit continues to apply biotechnology together with traditional technologies to solve practical problems in the control of poultry diseases, particularly Marek's disease and avian retrovirus infections. The unit is also leading the national research effort to map the chicken genome, which should improve disease control and poultry production through modern techniques for genetic selection and breeding.

Food and Feed Safety Research Unit

2881 F&B Road
College Station TX 77845

The mission of the Food and Feed Safety Research Unit is to: 1) develop cost-effective means to prevent Salmonella and other enteric pathogens in poultry, swine, cattle, and other livestock through use of competitive exclusion and management strategies, and develop an increased understanding of competitive exclusion through microbial ecology; 2) identify and isolate immune cytokines from poultry and other livestock to control Salmonella and other enteric pathogens and develop cytokine gene transfer technology for use in ovo in poultry to improve the immune responsiveness at the time of hatch; and 3) identify occurrence of microbial resistance to enteric non-pathogens and pathogens transmitted via food animals under various antimicrobial regimens and develop practical recommendations to prevent the development of drug resistant pathogens.