Alessandro Rocchi at his workbench preparing to perform differential leukocyte counts.

Author: Allesandro Rocchi | Majors: Poultry Science and Environmental, Soil, & Water Science | Semester: Fall 2022

Hi! My name is Alessandro Rocchi, and I am a double major in Poultry Science and Environmental, Soil, Water Science in Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. I have been working with Dr. Gisela Erf, Avian Immunologist, in the Department of Poultry Science over this past Fall 2022 semester. Together Dr. Erf and I utilized a minimally invasive approach for analyzing the local and systemic responses of the acute inflammatory response in broilers (meat-type chickens) subjected to heat stress. This dual-window approach, unique to avian species, allows us to perform timed trials on birds, examining their innate immune response over time while bringing minimal harm to the bird – sampling only the pulps of plucked feathers rather than performing biopsies. The examination of the innate immune response of broilers is essential as they are grown for six to eight weeks before harvest, therefore lacking the time to fully develop their adaptive immunity. This approach had been shown to be viable in broilers in a past study although not with respect to the effects of heat stress on the acute inflammatory response. Thus, with rising temperatures due to anthropogenic climate change we thought it would be interesting to see the effects of heat stress on broiler immunity, for applications in poultry health and animal welfare.

In the spring of my freshman year, I took Dr. Erf’s course in Current Approaches to Agricultural Laboratory Research and fell in love with the worlds of immunology and research. Dr. Erf’s class was fundamental in my growth as a young scientist, and we clicked together almost instantly. From that semester I knew that I would want to have her as my mentor and work with her dual-window approach. To choose a topic I sought to synthesize my double major and decided upon evaluating the effects of heat stress to add an environmental component that is a relevant issue within the industry.

Coming into this project there was a lot to learn on my end. Dr. Erf’s class had been helpful to gain a basic knowledge in poultry immunology although a much deeper understanding was needed for completion of the project. Through this project Dr. Erf has taught me about different assays used to evaluate the acute inflammatory response such as cytokine analyses of IL-1, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 as well as immunofluorescent staining for cell population analysis, acute phase protein analysis, reactive oxygen species generation, and determination of leukocyte proportions using Wright-stained blood smears. This spring I also plan to take her advanced immunology course to further my knowledge and aid me in fully understanding what the results of my experiment mean. This project taught me that I absolutely love research as a profession. Being able to conduct these experiments allows me to satisfy my curiosities while also working with subject matter experts who can impart me with their vast knowledge.

My mentor has been there for me every step of the way from the beginning. Dr. Erf assisted me in deciding on a topic to satisfy both of my interests, helped me in writing my proposal, and has continued to help me in performing assays and interpreting results. As the experiment was a timed trial, we had to work quickly in our sampling times to ensure that our samples could be processed efficiently. This meant there were a few nights in which we would have to sample in the afternoon and Dr. Erf and I would stay late into the evening to complete all of our necessary tasks. People always say it is important to choose a good mentor and it could not be truer. Dr. Erf has been instrumental throughout this process for me. This project would not have been as streamlined as it was if it had not been for her amazing lab group as well who have been equally as pleasant. Various members of my current poultry diseases lab have also been helpful in other aspects of the project in teaching me about bird rearing.

Currently, I am extremely satisfied with what has been accomplished thus far and I look forward to the next semester. In the spring I plan to finish some of my analyses and complete my thesis. I will be graduating in May 2023 and in July I plan on traveling to the annual Poultry Science Association Meeting in Philadelphia to present my project. This project has opened my eyes to the world of research and the wonders it holds. Therefore, I have decided to continue my education with the intent of pursuing a career as a scientist. After graduation, I will be attending Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina in the fall of 2023 to pursue a Master’s Degree in Microbiology with a focus on the protozoal parasite, Histomonas meleagridis.