Joint Doctorate in Molecular Animal Nutrition (MANNA)

The European “Joint Doctorate in Molecular Animal Nutrition” – MANNA – includes 6 universities, 9 private companies and 3 public research institutes from 8 European countries. The goal is to:
1) develop an Elite European School to train early stage researchers (ESR) in OMIC technologies applied to animal nutrition and in essential scientific, entrepreneurial and management skills;
2) evaluate the influence of innovative feed additives on animal production;
3) deliver double doctoral (PhD) degrees in a multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral network to develop a generation of internationally equipped scientists for the global workplace.
The objectives will be achieved by co-supervising each of 11 ESRs with two Beneficiary Universities and a non-academic participant. They will work on integrated innovative research projects, designed to investigate the effects of anti-oxidants, microRNA, exosomes, methionine, lipids and plant derived anti-inflammatories in livestock diets on growth, intestinal health and systemic metabolism which will be assessed by integrating transcriptomic, microbiomic, proteomic and metabolomic approaches in both in vivo and in vitro models. The results will go into informatic platforms to build analytic systems based on IBM-Watson cognitive computing. Secondments will enhance the research programmes of all ESR being based in industry and non-academic research institutes, whose field of activity include animal nutrition, veterinary diagnostic and clinical research, bioinformatics and professional communication in the agro-food sector. All will contribute to training by including ESR in their working team, and providing lectures and training sessions in Summer Schools and workshops which will reinforce the graduate programmes of each University. The joint governance structure of MANNA will manage the recruitment, supervision and assessment processes across the network and will become embedded in the future post graduate education of each University.