Programme
The BSAS 2021 conference is taking place virtually, this new format enables our global delegates from both academia and industry, to unite in one digital location. The programme, spanning four days, is as dynamic as it is flexible, enabling delegates to customise their experience to exactly what they need.
With one simple login, delegates can enjoy the full programme of plenaries, breakouts, networking and live question and answer sessions, choosing to join their preferred sessions. In addition, all sessions will be available on demand so delegates needn’t miss a moment.
There will be designated digital spaces for virtual functions, networking and discussion groups. We want the BSAS conference to continue to create meaningful connections, which is why the app allows delegates to safely connect directly with each other.
Monday 12 Apr
10:00 - 10:15 Conference Opening and Welcome
Welcome to the BSAS 2021 Virtual Annual Conference by Prof Eileen Wall, BSAS President
10:15 - 12:30 The Challenge of Change, The New Normal?
Leading the international debate on the challenge of change and adapting to the new ‘normal’, post Covid-19 and Brexit.
Interesting and informative presentations followed by a live Q&A where delegates can quiz the speaker panel and debate 'the new normal?'.
11:45 - 12:45 Developing Talent Workshop - Animal Perspectives | Booking Required
We all interact with other animals daily and have direct and indirect impacts on them, regardless of the sector in which we work. This interactive workshop will provide an opportunity for participants to reflect on the complexities and inconsistencies of our interactions with non-human animals. It encompasses a variety of contexts, including research, farming, companion animals and wildlife. Participants will be expected to discuss and debate how animals are valued, and treated, in different contexts, and reflect on their own opinions and choices.
Topics that will be addressed include:
How do we perceive animals - do we value some more than others, and why?
How do animals experience their interactions with humans?
What does science tell us about animal sentience, cognition and welfare needs?
Case studies - participants will be asked to consider aspects of one more real-life case studies describing different uses of animals.
This session is suitable for both students and early career life scientists, including those interested in the topics, those completely new to research, and those who already have experience of working with animals, their tissues, or data derived from them.
This Workshop need to be booked seperately as places are limited. To book your place for this exciting workshop please email bsas@bsas.org.uk using Animal Perspectives Workshop in the email header and confirming your name and email address. (You will require a Developing Talent or Full Conference Ticket to attend.)
13:10 - 15:45 Global Approach to Net Zero
Informing the debate, discussing and building on actions already taken, as we work towards the goal of net zero.
13:30 - 14:30 Developing Talent Presentations - Animal Diseases
Dedicated early career sessions providing an international platform to showcase the exciting work of our emerging scientists, as they take up their role in the world of animal science. Further information to follow.
13:30 - 14:30 Developing Talent Presentations - Animal Nutrition - Supplementation
Dedicated early career sessions providing an international platform to showcase the exciting work of our emerging scientists, as they take up their role in the world of animal science. Further information to follow.
13:30 - 14:30 Developing Talent Presentations - Modelling
Dedicated early career sessions providing an international platform to showcase the exciting work of our emerging scientists, as they take up their role in the world of animal science. Further information to follow.
14:00 - 15:00 Industry Prize Presentations
Industry Prize Finalists. The candidates will be judged by their summary and presentation. The main criteria for winning the prize is ‘impact to industry’.
14:45 - 15:45 Developing Talent Presentations - Animal Production and Welfare
Dedicated early career sessions providing an international platform to showcase the exciting work of our emerging scientists, as they take up their role in the world of animal science. Further information to follow.
14:45 - 15:45 Developing Talent Presentations - Animal Nutrition, Energy Requirements and Metabolomics
Dedicated early career sessions providing an international platform to showcase the exciting work of our emerging scientists, as they take up their role in the world of animal science. Further information to follow.
16:15 - 17:15 Future of Farming
Countryfile and Costing the Earth Presenter Tom Heap will be sharing his wisdom and answering your questions, on the future of farming, given the current uncertainties, and what our early career scientists can do to make the biggest impact on these issues as their careers develop.
*Please note - this session will not be available on demand.
Tuesday 13 Apr
9:00 - 10:00 Sustainability in the Agri-food Supply Chain
CIEL, the UK's livestock innovation Centre, hosts this industry-led session highlighting the challenges around sustainable production for the livestock sector, together with considering the approaches and innovations that could monitor progress, offer solutions and engage with consumers.
Session Chair: Stuart Blyth, Head of Business Development at CIEL.
This will be a 2 part session:
Part 1 – Broad industry insights into current challenges and future opportunities
Part 2 – Focused perspectives from industry – interview-led
9:00 - 10:15 Beef Cattle (Part 1)
9:00 - 10:15 Pigs (Part 1)
10:10 - 11:15 Agri-EPI: at the intersection of technology, animal health & sustainability
Discussing the importance of technology in ‘the new normal’, this session will showcase upcoming technologies for animal health in development at the South West Dairy Development Centre. Include a ‘talking heads’ style presentation about veterinary at a distance and the challenges of remote consultation and diagnosis, looking at novel remote solutions to these challenges. And will showcase technology being used on the ground to improve pig health.
10:20 - 11:15 Pigs (Part 2)
10:25 - 11:15 Beef Cattle (Part 2)
11:55 - 13:10 Beef Cattle - Production
11:55 - 13:10 Sheep - Production (Part 1)
12:00 - 13:10 Bringing Innovation to Life
Conducting innovative research and then transforming it into marketable products and services can be risky, costly and time consuming, and whether you are an SME, an academic institution, or a large corporation, you will need support - financially, emotionally and intellectually.
13:30 - 16:50 Equine Symposium
13:30 - 14:30 Science in to Practise
The session will focus on real life examples of putting innovation into practice, with discussions around how companies are implementing projects during this unique period of change. The KTN AgriFood team supports organisations interested in AgriFood innovation, to access expert information, funding and connections needed to drive change.
Speaking will be Dr Sara Place, Chief Sustainability Officer at Elanco. Prior to Elanco, she was the senior director for sustainable beef production research at the National Cattleman’s Beef Association and an assistant professor in sustainable beef cattle systems at Oklahoma State University. Certain aspects of Sara’s work are focused on how beef can be the solution to help provide sustainable food. During the session, Sara will also encourage discussion and debate on how the adoption of new innovations is key to making them successful and assuring that they do offer clear benefits to the industry.
Anne Richmond will also share her story. She is the Research and Development Manager at Moy Park. Anne grew up on a farm in Northern Ireland, rearing pedigree Charolais cattle and free-range turkeys. After studying Biology at the University of Dundee Anne worked in the Agri-Food Biosciences Institute non-ruminant lab. In 2010, she decided to return to full time education to study for a PhD at Queen’s University Belfast. In December 2013 she graduated and during her PhD she was successful in an application to the Institute of Food Science and Technology for their fellowship at the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology. In September 2014 she joined Moy Park as an Agriculture Analyst and in May 2017 took on her current role.
This event will be Chaired by KTN’s Lucy Mather. Lucy focuses on the livestock and aquaculture industry, driving forward the innovations which will help to ensure that the industry is future proof and sustainable. She works with companies of all sizes, from SMEs right up to large companies and can help you understand how you can work with the livestock industry and develop your innovative projects. Before joining KTN, Lucy worked as an Agricultural Consultant, helping businesses to ensure that they were efficient and resilient.
13:30 - 14:50 Sheep - Production (Part 2)
15:00 - 16:00 Hammond Lecture - Animal Agriculture and Alternative Meats: Learning from Past Science Communication Failures
The new normal for scientists globally is how best to counter misinformation. As with other politicized scientific topics, agricultural scientists have tried to refute fallacies and correct distortions with evidence, data, and logic. The science communication literature increasingly reveals that this approach is ineffective at changing people’s perceptions.
16:30 - 17:40 Excellence in Teaching and Learning
17:00 - 18:30 The potential contribution of livestock to addressing the twin emergencies of Climate Change and Biodiversity loss
Human activity has prompted two major crises for the future of life as we know it on planet earth: Climate change and Biodiversity loss. Livestock are frequently blamed for the size of their contribution to both, yet research, policy and innovation have all led to significant progress in decreasing those negative impacts. The challenge, however, is far from over and the livestock sector has a long way to go in achieving its potential contribution to helping governments meet their net-zero targets.
In this session we will hear how technology has already contributed to decreasing the negative environmental impacts of livestock systems.
Wednesday 14 Apr
9:00 - 12:00 Towards the Green Deal
Agriculture has the greatest potential to shape the future of our planet. With the advent of new agriculture technologies and the adoption of improved farm management practices we can strive towards a more efficient and sustainable industry. The European Commission’s Green Deal is a move towards that, providing a response to climate and environmental-related challenges with the target of climate neutrality by 2050. Actions and strategies proposed within the Deal affect all aspects of livestock production. The Farm to Fork Strategy will strengthen efforts to tackle climate change, protect the environment and preserve biodiversity. Methane and nitrogen emissions are considered significant issues and strategies to reduce them, including technology, data use and management, leading to increased efficiency of production are addressed in this session. Alltech are delighted to be sponsoring this session where the president of FEFAC, Europe’s Feed Manufacturers Federation, Mr Asbjørn Børsting will talk about FEFAC’s response to the Green Deal. Also, Dr Stephen Ross, Senior Sustainability Specialist at Alltech, will discuss the role of environmental auditing in the journey to neutrality.
9:00 - 10:10 Small Ruminant Health and Welfare (Part 1)
9:00 - 11:15 Dairy Cattle - Production
9:15 - 10:45 Delivering Solutions Across Continents – The Importance of International Collaboration
10:15 - 11:15 Small Ruminant Health and Welfare (Part 2)
11:00 - 13:00 One Health
11:25 - 12:45 Dairy Cattle - Health and Welfare (Part 1)
11:30 - 12:45 Poultry - Production
12:20 - 13:40 Ruminants - Environmental (Part 1)
13:00 - 14:30 New Developments in the Dairy Industry
13:15 - 14:25 Poultry - Health
14:05 - 15:15 Ruminants - Environmental (Part 2)
14:40 - 16:25 Young Stock
14:45 - 15:45 Dairy Cattle - Health and Welfare (Part 2)
15:00 - 16:30 One World, One Animal Science
The session looks at the the 'One World - One Animal Science' perspective as seen from different global animal science societies, sharing and discussing how they are tackling common issues and how greater links between societies and animal science around the world will be beneficial.
15:00 - 16:30 Managing the hyperprolific sow and progeny
Genetic selection over the past few decades has resulted in increased litter size in modern sows which has necessitated changes in management of sows and progeny. Increased litter size is often associated with increased whole litter weight, decreased average birthweight, increased number of small for age piglets and greater variability in birthweight all of which introduce some challenges as well as opportunities. The webinar on Managing the Hyperprolific sow will cover the management of these sows and progeny and feature global experts. Subjects covered (and speakers) include “Nutrition of the sow herd” (Dr Uislei Orlando, Global; Nutrition Programs Director, Pig Improvement Company, USA), “Managing the progeny of the hyperprolific sow” (Professor John Pluske; CEO and Chief Scientist, Australian Pork Research Limited, Australia) and “Welfare and housing the hyperprolific sow and litters” (Dr Vivi Aarestrup Moustsen, Danish Pig Research Centre, Denmark). The session is chaired by Prof Frank Dunshea.
15:55 - 17:05 Dairy Cattle - Genomics and Genetics
17:00 - 18:30 What do Future Beef Farms need to look like?
Join this interactive session that will bring together a range of experts from across the beef industry to share their thoughts on what future beef farms need to look like. The panelists are Sarah Haire (Head of Agriculture for Dunbia and leads on the UK Sustainable Beef Platform), Seth Wareing (business manager for Stabiliser Cattle Company), Dr Jude Capper (livestock sustainability consultant) and Bryn Hughes (National Sheep & Beef Specialist, Wynnstay). There will be discussions on the role of genetics, the need for farmers to engage with key performance indicators, how to deal with the range of systems, and how to improve the public perception of the beef sector.
Thursday 15 Apr
9:00 - 10:00 Feed into Beef Nutrition (FIBNUT) Review
AHDB is funding a five year collaborative project to deliver improved beef cattle feeding guidelines. Evidence suggests that the current guidance underestimates nutritional requirements in a number of areas. Nutrient requirements of beef cattle within the UK have not been revised since the publication of the AFRC book in 1993. Since that time the genetic base of the cattle population has changed as have the feeds commonly used by farmers.
An update of these nutrition models is overdue.
The feed into beef project is being led by CIEL, in partnership with Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI).
Updates include:
Feed intake
Growth and carcass composition
Energy requirements
Protein requirements
Feed values and feed interactions
Reviews from this project will be presented within this session.
9:15 - 9:45 animal Journal
An update on the animal family of Gold Open Access journals, published by Elsevier.
10:00 - 12:30 Developing Talent Workshop - Verbal Communications and Public Engagement Skills
Early Careers Workshop
10:00 - 12:30 Developing Talent Workshop - Writing for the Web and Lay Audiences
Early Careers Workshop
To reach the widest possible audience and have the best possible impact, it’s essential that scientists are able to communicate their research in a simple and engaging manner for multi-disciplinary and lay audiences. Run by the digital content team from AHDB, this workshop will help you learn how to construct written content that is designed to be read by lay audiences in a digital format, and to extract and clearly communicate the take home messages from your research.
10:00 - 12:30 Developing Talent Workshop - Writing a Scientific Paper
A well-written paper conveys your research findings clearly, is easier to get published, and is more likely to be read and cited. The presenters, Isabelle Ortigues-Marty, Editor-in-Chief of animal and Phil Garnsworthy, FRSB, Professor of Dairy Science at the University of Nottingham, will give advice on how to structure your paper, write clearly and concisely, draw tables and figures, and prepare your manuscript for publication. There will be plenty of time for questions and discussions.
Developing Talent Workshop, supported by animal - The International Jounal of Animal Biosciences.
10:00 - 11:10 Impact of Next Generation Computation to Inform Scientific Discovery
11:20 - 12:30 Collaboration, Education and Training in a Virtual World
13:00 - 14:30 Conference Round-up and Prize Presentations
15:00 - 16:00 BSAS AGM
BSAS AGM - open to BSAS Members only
