Team leaders: Sandrine Mignon and Agnès Narcy
The GENUTS team: Optimizing poultry production through an integrated genetics-nutrition-systems approach
The GENUTS team is the result of the merger of the " Nutrition and Livestock Farming Systems " and "Adaptation, Quality, Selection" teams, uniting physiologists and geneticists. Our mission is to support the agroecological transition of poultry production by optimizing the interactions between animal genetics, nutrition, and breeding systems.
Area 1. Food and resources:
The goal is to identify and characterize new raw materials and feeds of interest, focusing on both their nutritional value and the overall efficiency of feeding systems. This approach integrates their impacts on the environment, performance, animal health and welfare, and product quality, while accounting for the diversity of animals and production methods (ranging from extensive to intensive systems).
Area 2. Biological processes of adaptation to feed:
The objective is to deepen our understanding of the determinants of digestive functionality and their regulation through genetics and diet, with particular emphasis on early nutritional programming mechanisms. Additionally, the relationships between digestive, muscle, and bone functions under various genetic and dietary contexts will be explored to better manage trade-offs between these functions.
Area 3. Multi-performance and sustainability of systems:
The team's multidisciplinary expertise in nutrition, genetics, and systems analysis will be applied in multi-stakeholder projects involving researchers, industry professionals, and civil society to support the transition of breeding and selection systems. The aim is to integrate economic and environmental efficiency with social acceptability in evaluating new practices, while enhancing efforts in behavioral genetics.
Methodological approach
Our multidisciplinary approach enables us to study the complex interactions between the various factors that influence animal performance. We use quantitative genetics, digestive physiology, modelling and systems analysis tools to achieve our research objectives.
Challenges and prospects
The work of the GENUTS team is part of a research dynamic aiming to develop more sustainable and resilient farming systems. Our research contributes to :
- Improve our understanding of the physiological mechanisms that control animal performance.
- Develop new feeding and genetic selection strategies.
- Contribute to the development of more environmentally friendly farming systems.
The team leads the international NutriMod laboratory with the University of Laval (Quebec) and AgroParisTech.
On-going projects:
- Projet INRAE REGENERE (2023-2024) : Révéler les effets environnementaux, les interactions entre génotype et environnement, et les effets intergénérationnels de la reproduction au sol.
- Projet CASDAR NitroSorg (2022-2025) : Intérêt de la sélection variétale pour améliorer l’utilisation digestive des protéines de Sorgho
- Projet ADEME EcoXtract (2022-2025) : mise au point de processus d’éco-extraction des graines d’oléagineux
- Projet INRAE ClinOrg (2022-2025) : Mise au point d’un système d’écoformulation des aliment en production biologique
- Projet d’intérêt régional POLDER (2021-2024) : Poulet Label Durable En Région Centre Val de Loire
- Projet CASDAR COCORICO (2021-2024) : Co-conception de systèmes d’élevage du poulet conciliant attentes sociétales et prix
- Projet F2E Carnot PINHS (2020-2023) : Intérêt des protéines d’insecte dans l’alimentation des volailles
- Projet F2E Carnot MENTOR (2022-2025) : Stratégies alimentaires précoces et robustesse du poulet de chair
- Projet CASDAR PRESAJE (2023-2026) : Nutrition protéique chez le poussin
- Projet d’intérêt régional ANIMALT (2019-2022) : Développement d’organoïdes intestinaux
- H2020 UE PPILOW 2019-2024: Améliorer le bien-être animal des porcs et des volailles dans les systèmes de production à faible intrant et biologique
- Projets de recherche partenariale CARNOT – France Futur Elevage
Major publications :
Implication of digestive functions and microbiota in the establishment of muscle glycogen differences between divergent lines for ultimate pH. Bochereau, P ; Haddad, SM ; Pichon, J ; Rossignol, C ; Narcy, A ; Métayer-Coustard, S ; Berri, C ; Le Bihan-Duval, E. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, 20204, 14:24134. DOI : 10.1038/s41598-024-74009-z.
High-throughput phenotyping to characterise range use behaviour in broiler chickens . Collet, JM ; Bonnefous, C ; Germain, K ; Ravon, L ; Calandreau, L ; Guesdon, V ; Collin, A ; Le Bihan-Duval, E ; Mignon-Grasteau, S. ANIMAL, 2024, 18 : 101099. DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2024.101099.
Effects of strain and stocking density on leg health, activity, and use of enrichments in conventional broiler chicken production. Guinebretière, M ; Warin, L ; Moysan, JP ; Méda, B ; Mocz, F ; Le Bihan-Duval, E ; Thomas, R ; Keita, A ; Mignon-Grasteau, S. POULTRY SCIENCE, 2024, 103: 103993. DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2024.103993.
Effect of limestone particle size and microbial phytase on phosphorus and calcium digestion kinetics along the gastrointestinal tract in laying hens. Hervo, F ; Létourneau-Montminy, MP ; Méda, B ; Narcy, A. BRITISH POULTRY SCIENCE, 2024, 65: 605-614. DOI : 10.1080/00071668.2024.2357659.
Effects of dietary calcium and microbial phytase on the bioavailability of two sources of zinc in broilers. Khaskar, V ; Hervo, F ; Même, N ; Monteiro, AR ; Narcy, A. BRITISH POULTRY SCIENCE, 2024, DOI: 10.1080/00071668.2024.2383920.
Behavioural indicators of range use in four broiler strains. Bonnefous, C ; Calandreau, L ; Le Bihan-Duval, E ; Ferreira, VHB ; Barbni, A ; Collin, A ; Reverchon, M ; Germain, K ; Ravon, L ; Kruger, N ; Mignon-Grasteau, S, Guesdon, V. APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE, 2023, 260: 105870. DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2023.105870.
Effect of phytase and limestone particle size on mineral digestibility, performance, eggshell quality, and bone mineralization in laying hens. Hervo, F ; Létourneau-Montminy, MP, Même, N ; Méda, B ; Duclos, MJ ; Narcy, A. POULTRY SCIENCE, 2023, 102:102613. DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2023.102613.
Advances in understanding and improving the use of macro-minerals in poultry nutrition: special focus on phosphorus. Narcy, A ; Hervo, F ; Angel, CR ; Bonadiman, A ; Duclos, M ; Méda, B ; Mignon-Grasteau, S ; Reis, M ; Létourneau-Montminy, MP. In Advances in poultry nutrition (ed. Prof. Todd Applegate), 2024, Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing. P. 339-366.
Effect of phytase and limestone particle size on mineral digestibility, performance, eggshell quality and bone mineralization in laying hens. Hervo, F., Létourneau-Montminy, M-P, Même, N, Méda, B, Duclos, M, Narcy, A. POULTRY SCIENCE, 2022, doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2023.102613.
A divergent selection on breast meat ultimate pH, a key factor for chicken meat quality, is associated with different circulating lipid profiles. Beauclercq, S ; Mignon-Grasteau, S ; Petit, A ; Berger, Q ; Lefevre, A ; Metayer-Coustard, S ; Tesseraud, S ; Emond, P ; Berri, C ; Le Bihan-Duval, E . FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY, 2022, 13: 935868. DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.935868.
Profiles of genetic parameters of body weight and feed efficiency in two divergent broiler lines for meat ultimate pH. Berger, Q ; Guettier, E ; Bernard, J ; Ganier, P ; Chahnamian, M ; Le Bihan-Duval, E ; Mignon-Grasteau, S. BMC GENOMIC DATA, 2022, 23, 1: 18. DOI: 10.1186/s12863-022-01035-z.
Effect of limestone particle size on performance, eggshell quality, bone strength, and in vitro/in vivo solubility in laying hens: a meta-analysis approach. Hervo, F ; Narcy, A ; Nys, Y ; Létourneau-Montminy, MP . POULTRY SCIENCE, 2022, 101, 4: 101686. DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2021.101686.
Reducing environmental impacts of feed using multiobjective formulation: What benefits at the farm gate for pig and broiler production? Méda, B ; Garcia-Launay, F ; Dusart, L ; Ponchant, P ; Espagnol, S ; Wilfart, A . ANIMAL, 2021, 15, 1: 100024 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2020.100024.
