Welcome
Welcome to the Stein Monogastric Nutrition Research Laboratory that was organized at South Dakota State University in 2000. At that time, the lab consisted of Dr. Hans H. Stein and one graduate student, but the lab grew in size over the years. The laboratory was moved to the University of Illinois in 2006 when Dr. Stein accepted a position as associate professor at the University of Illinois. Currently, the lab consists of Dr. Stein, two postdoctoral research fellows, a research assistant, two visiting scholars, six graduate students, and a number of hourly workers.
The focus of the laboratory is to conduct basic and applied research in the area of energy and nutrient digestibility and absorption by monogastric animals and a large number of experiments have been completed in this area. Commonly used techniques in the laboratory allow for measuring:
- apparent and standardized ileal digestibility of amino acids
- pparent ileal, apparent cecal, and apparent total tract digestibility of dietary fiber
- fermentability of dietary fiber
- digestible and metabolizable energy values
- apparent and true total tract digestibility of calcium and phosphorus
- net energy values
- energy retention
- apparent and true digestibility of fat
- amino acid availability
Animal facilities to conduct this research are available and two laboratories for conducting chemical sample analyses are also available.
Feed ingredients are evaluated by measuring energy and nutrient digestibility values and this work is often followed up by measuring performance of pigs fed diets formulated based on the digestibility values that were measured. Effects of feed ingredients on carcass quality and pork palatability are also measured if relevant. Some of the feed ingredients that have been evaluated include field peas, barley, and co-products from the ethanol industry.
The effects of the level of feed intake on the digestibility of energy and amino acids have also been measured and a novel procedure to measure endogenous losses of phosphorus by pigs was developed by a previous Masters student. This procedure allow for measuring both apparent and true digestibility of phosphorus in inorganic as well as organic sources of phosphorus. The additivity of digestibility values for amino acids in mixed diets was measured and led to the conclusion that mixed diets are more accurately formulated if based on standardized ileal digestibility values for amino acids than on apparent ileal digestibility values.
Three PhD students and 7 Masters students have completed their thesis work in the laboratory and currently, 2 masters students and 4 PhD students are enrolled in the program. Communication of research findings in the form of scientific presentations and publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals is a major part of the graduate student responsibilities in the Laboratory, and students are taught about the importance of timely publications of scientific work.
The Stein Monogastric Nutrition Research Laboratory will continue to conduct research to serve the local and global livestock industries.
