Nutrition
The overall goal of the nutrition research program at Prairie Swine Centre is to develop nutrition strategies that improve the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of pork production in Canada.
Areas of Research
- Impact of dietary composition on animal health and nutrient requirements
- The impact of disease on nutrient requirements
- Srategies to mitigate the negative effects of mycotoxins
- Incorporation of alternative ingredients in swine diets
- The effect of early-life nutrition on lifetime performance.
This includes research projects to improve our understanding of nutrition, metabolism, and physiology at all stages of production. We work closely with researchers in Saskatchewan, across Canada, and worldwide to create a multidisciplinary research program to address the needs of the pork value chain.
Current themes of the nutrition research program include 1) the impact of dietary composition on animal health and nutrient requirements, 2) the impact of disease on nutrient requirements, 3) strategies to mitigate the negative effects of mycotoxins, 4) incorporation of alternative ingredients in swine diets, and 5) the effect of early-life nutrition on lifetime performance.
Current projects are funded by the Government of Saskatchewan – Agriculture Development Fund, Swine Innovation Porc – Canadian Agricultural Partnership, Evonik Operations GmbH, CJ Bio, Mitacs, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
Dan Columbus, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Originally from Sarnia, Ontario, Dan completed his undergraduate degree from the University of Guelph in Animal Biology in 2004. Dan went on to complete his graduate training at Guelph under the mentorship of Dr. Kees de Lange. His MSc research focused on the use of liquid feeding technology and phytase to improve availability of phosphorus in high-moisture corn based diets for newly-weaned pigs. His doctoral studies, completed in 2012, examined the impact of dietary ingredients on availability of amino acids and nitrogen and the efficiency of utilization of non-protein nitrogen sources, such as ammonia and urea, for growth. After completing his graduate training, Dan moved to Houston, Texas, to complete post-doctoral training under Dr. Teresa Davis at the USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Centre, Baylor College of Medicine, where his research focused on examining nutrient regulation of muscle growth and development of nutritional therapies to improve growth of low-birth weight infants, using the pig as a model for the human infant. Dan joined the Prairie Swine Centre in 2015 and leads the nutrition research program. Dan’s current research focuses on nutrition in the nursery and grower-finisher phase of pig production and on development of research studies utilizing the pig as a model for human nutrition and health.
Josiane Panisson, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Originally from São Miguel do Oeste, Brazil, Josiane Carla Panisson obtained her undergraduate in Animal Science from Universidade do estado de Santa Catarina – UDESC. After she finished her BSc degree, she started working in a technical secondary school as an Animal Science teacher. In 2014, she enrolled in an MSc program in Animal Science (swine and poultry nutrition) at the Universidade Federal do Parana – UFPR. After completion, she obtained her PhD from the same university in 2020. The research program was developed mainly by the Animal Nutrition Research Laboratory (LEPNAN). In 2018, through the ELAP (Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program) scholarship, she came to University of Saskatchewan as a visiting researcher under the supervision of Dr. Denise Beaulieu. She joined the Prairie Swine Centre in 2020.
Marllon de Oliveira, Ph.D.
Post Doctoral Fellow
Originally from Itabira, Brazil, Marllon José Karpeggiane de Oliveira obtained his undergraduate in Animal Science from Instituto Federal de Minas Gerais – IFMG. He completed his Master’s degree in 2019, and Ph.D. in 2023, in Animal Science at Universidade Estadual Paulista “Julio de Mesquita Filho” (UNESP-Jaboticabal). His MSc research focused on evaluating the use of feed additives (probiotics) for broilers under enteric pathogen challenge, while during his Ph.D. he focused on understanding the interaction between nutrition and heat-stressed pigs. In 2024, he joined the University of Saskatchewan and Prairie Swine Centre as a postdoctoral fellow under the supervision of Dr. Dan Columbus.
Taiwo J. Erinle, M.Sc.
Ph.D. Student
Hailing from Sagamu, South-Western Nigeria. Taiwo earned a B.Tech degree in Animal Nutrition and Biotechnology from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Nigeria, in 2018. Following this, he got admitted into a master’s degree program in Animal Science at Dalhousie University, where he earned his MSc degree in 2022 under Dr. Deborah Adewole. His MSc research evaluated the antibiotic replacement of potentials of grape pomace and red osier dogwood extract as sustainable solutions to combat disease incidence in broiler chickens production challenged with Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) or SE lipopolysaccharide. In addition to poultry, Taiwo’s quest for well-rounded professionalism in monogastric animal nutritional research motivated his research interest in swine nutritional physiology. He is currently in his Ph.D. degree program under the supervision of Dr. Dan Columbus. After completing his Ph.D., Taiwo hopes to remain in academia as a Post-Doctoral Fellow, where he would like to conduct high-quality poultry and swine research to improve monogastric animal productivity.
Bria Bentley, B.Sc.
M.Sc. Student
Bria Bentley graduated from the University of Saskatchewan this spring with a BSc in Animal Science. Originally from Calgary AB, she was able to gain experience within various livestock operations including swine, poultry, dairy, and equine. Bria developed a passion for the swine industry after working for Olymel as a Pork Production Technician in the farrowing department. Through work experience and academics Bria has aspiration to continue her pathway in the swine industry. Bria has chosen to pursue a master’s degree in swine nutrition under the guidance of Dr. Denise Beaulieu and Dr. Dan Columbus at the University of Saskatchewan. Bria will be involved in evaluating “swine bioavailability of resistant starch derived from pulse starches.” After completion of her MSc, Bria would like to become an animal nutritionist in the industry.
Pedro Inácio Gomes, M.Sc.
Visiting Research Student
Originally from Ijaci, Brazil, Pedro Henrique Inácio Gomes obtained his undergraduate degree in Animal Science from the Federal University of Lavras – UFLA in 2018. He completed his master’s degree in 2021 and is currently doing his PhD in Animal Science through the Postgraduate Program in Animal Science at the same university. His master’s research focused on the evaluation of vitamin-mineral supplementation via water on the redox status, feeding behavior, water intake and performance of weaned piglets. In his PhD, he maintains the focus of his research on evaluating the potential of vitamin-mineral supplementation in the modulation of the immune system, redox status, feeding behavior kinetics, water intake and performance of growing/finishing pigs raised in tropical climate conditions. In 2024, he joined the University of Saskatchewan and the Prairie Swine Center as a visiting researcher under the supervision of Dr. Dan Columbus.
Vivian Vieira, M.Sc.
Visiting Research Student
Originally from Maringá, Brazil, Vivian Vieira, as an undergraduate student, pursued a bachelor’s degree in animal science at Universidade Estadual de Maringá (UEM), where she developed a strong curiosity in scientific research and had the opportunity to attend as an intern in one of the most prestigious companies in the poultry sector in Brazil (GTFoods Group). After her bachelor’s degree in 2014, Vivian enrolled in an MSc program in animal science (poultry and swine nutrition) at the Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), the same institution where she is now full-time enrolled as a PhD student under the mentorship of Dr. Simone Oliveira and Dr. Alex Maiorka. Her research studies were developed in the Monogastric Animal Nutrition Research Laboratory (LEPNAN) at UFPR and focused on understanding how ingredients from different origins and nutritional quality in broiler chicken’s diet supplemented with enzymes could influence nutrient digestibility and growth performance. In 2024, she will join the University of Saskatchewan and Prairie Swine Centre as a visiting research student under the supervision of Dr. Dan Columbus.
