From Vaccines and Food Security to Artificial Intelligence: Emerging Challenges in Veterinary Medicine and Poultry Production

Zahra Fayzii from the Vice-Presidency for Research and Technology News Desk of the University of Tehran:

Dr. Arash Gholianchi Langaroudi, a distinguished researcher at the University of Tehran Research Festival and a full professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, discussed the role of microbiology and immunology in animal and poultry health, food security, vaccine development, challenges in poultry production, emerging research, and the applications of artificial intelligence in veterinary medicine.

He explained that microbiology and immunology focus on identifying disease-causing agents and examining how the immune systems of living organisms respond to them. According to him, viruses depend on living cells for their replication and survival, while in veterinary medicine, research on viruses affecting livestock, poultry, aquatic animals, honeybees, camels, and silkworms is of particular importance.

The University of Tehran professor also addressed the role of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in addressing national challenges.

One of the major issues discussed was the state of poultry production and policymaking in the country. Dr. Gholianchi Langaroudi pointed to the multidimensional challenges facing the industry, identifying inadequate forecasting of day-old chick production capacity, difficulties in securing inputs, fluctuating import and export policies, and the absence of an integrated structure as among the factors contributing to production problems. He emphasized that continuing this trend could widen the gap between the country’s poultry production and that of some regional countries.

He also noted that meeting international market standards requires a broader approach to poultry meat quality than simply considering its price. Factors such as antibiotic residues, bacterial contamination, carcass weight, processing, packaging, transportation conditions, and the ability to guarantee product quality are among the key indicators of standardized and export-quality production.

The University of Tehran professor also addressed the widespread belief regarding the use of hormones in poultry production, explaining that hormones are not used in the country’s poultry production system. The rapid growth of modern poultry breeds is instead the result of genetic improvement and selection, combined with appropriate nutrition.

Dr. Gholianchi Langaroudi further addressed animal and poultry diseases, particularly foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), and considered effective vaccine procurement and imports to have played an important role in controlling the disease. He also highlighted the capacity of domestic companies and the Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute to produce FMD vaccines, as well as the importance of updating the strains used in vaccines.

Research activities in virology and immunology were another major area of focus. According to him, research in these fields is the result of collaboration among faculty members, students, and specialists. Scientific achievements such as research papers, research projects, and knowledge production are the outcomes of a collaborative and interconnected process in which each member contributes to the final results.

He also pointed to the difficulties facing research under current economic conditions, identifying rising costs of laboratory materials, test kits, equipment, laboratory animals, and academic travel as major challenges for researchers. According to him, a significant portion of the materials and services required for specialized research is imported, and fluctuations in foreign exchange rates have made available research budgets insufficient for advanced studies. This issue can affect researchers’ participation in international scientific forums and, consequently, the quality and scope of their research activities.

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