Dr. James Cullen is currently Research Co-ordinator in the School of Science and Computing.  The role involves supporting and guiding the research activity of the School, liaising with staff from across the university as well as with funding agencies and industry partners. James graduated with a BSc in Molecular Biology with Biopharmaceutical Science from SETU in 2018 and went on to work in the food industry as a microbiologist.  James returned to SETU to pursue a PhD on the microbial quality of liquid feed for pigs and how strategies to optimise feed microbial quality might impact the pig gut microbiome.  The project was a collaboration between the Eco-Innovation Research Centre (EIRC) at SETU, The Pig Development Department in Teagasc Moorepark, and the Animal Bioscience Research Centre in Teagasc Grange.  The project was funded by an Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship and was supervised by Prof Gillian Gardiner (SETU), and co-supervised by Dr Peadar Lawlor (Teagasc Moorepark) and Dr Paul Cormican (Teagasc Grange).  

James' research involved determining the microbiota and metabolite content of liquid compared to dry pig feed as well as the impact of feed type on the pig gut microbiome.  He also investigated the impact of strategies used to optimise the microbial quality of liquid feed for pigs (such as sanitisation of feeding systems) on the bacterial and fungal communities in the feed, and in the gastrointestinal tract of pigs.  This project provided valuable practical information to farmers on strategies to improve the quality of their feed, and ultimately improve the growth and feed efficiency of their herd.  His PhD led to the development of collaborative links with industry, publication of 5 peer-reviewed papers, 1 invited book chapter and 5 conference oral presentations/posters.