Based on our field and laboratory expertise, we are continually improving existing and developing new products and programmes for our clients. Our R&D team is always one step ahead when it comes to animal health, working  from its own laboratory. It is involved in the validation and quality assurance of diagnostic  tests in our operational laboratory, as well as in animal health surveillance programmes and contract research.

Epidemiology

Our epidemiology team assists in and carries out  the design, analysis and reporting of studies:  ranging from clinical trials to large field studies.  Animal health monitoring is vital for animal  health and welfare, food safety, and a country’s  export position. Royal GD has been assigned  the important task of monitoring the health  of all farm animals in the Netherlands. Our  epidemiologists therefore have broad experience  with big data sets and can apply all the  necessary statistical techniques in their studies.

Research Projects

Biosensor measures zoonotic potential of influenza viruses  Better understanding of the bond between viruses and host  cells contributes to predicting whether animal viruses can  be transmitted to humans (and vice versa). Researchers  Erhard van der Vries from Royal GD and Jurriaan Huskens  and Nico Overeem from the University of Twente (Nico  joined GD in November) have developed a biosensor that can measure this bond between virus and host cell. Read more

Healthier animals thanks to data Royal GD is to undertake research together with 18 partners from 11 countries, under the leadership of Utrecht  University, to establish earlier detection of endemic infectious  diseases in young farm animals and salmon, so that  farmers and veterinarians can take appropriate measures. This project titled ‘Data-driven control and prioritisation of  non-EU-regulated contagious animal diseases’ (DECIDE) receives ten million euros of European funding. Read more