Summer 2004 Newsletter :Student Prizewinners

President's Prizes

The 2004 Annual Meeting produced an unusually high number of excellent papers, presented both orally and in poster form. As is our custom the Branch continued to encourage its student members by offering two prizes for the authors of what, in the opinion of a small panel of judges, were considered to be the best of each. Once again, the decision was hard to make and, without detracting in any way from the other authors, the President was delighted to present a framed certificate and a cheque to the following two authors at the close of the meeting:

Best oral presentation:

Shanmugavelu Sithambaram, SAC Auchincruive (pictured below left):
"Effect of thyme oil and garlic powder on microbial fermentation in various sections of the gastrointestinal tract of broilers."
Co-authors were J D Booker, T Acamovic and A J Cowieson.

Best poster presentation:

Carol Murphy of Queens University, Belfast (pictured below right):
"The effects of a range of xylanases added to a wheat-based diet on broiler performance and microflora populations."
Co-authors were: M R Bedford and K J McCracken.

Student Summer Vacation Scholarships 2004

It was also announced at the Annual Meeting that the 2004 Awards, each worth £1000, had been awarded to:

• Maeve Moran of Harper Adams University College to investigate the effect of dietary organic acids on the growth performance of broiler chickens.
  
• Joseph Uguru of the University of Plymouth (Seale-Hayne) to examine the effects of probiotics applied to moist feed and fermented liquid feed on the growth performance, modulation of the immune system, and the ecology and structural integrity of the gut in broilers".

We look forward to receiving their reports which will be considered for inclusion in the 2005 Annual Meeting.