Pravin Mishra, DVM

Pravin holding award For his outstanding academic performance, research contributions, and service to professional community, Pravin Mishra , a graduate student in the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) was awarded the Poultry Science Association (PSA) Hatchery’s Student of the Year 2024 Award. The award includes a certificate of recognition and a $1,000 travel grant to attend the 2025 PSA annual meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Mishra has also been elected as junior student director for PSA, where he will serve on the board of directors and PSA Hatchery Advisory Committee. Mishra’s election showcased his commitment to the association’s goals of providing educational, social and professional support to student members.  In addition, his exemplary service as the Chair of the Project Innovation Committee for PSA Hatchery (2022–24) was also celebrated, where he spearheaded collaborative projects.  “Winning these awa...

In Hawaiʻi , there is a relatively high number of feral chickens, commonly seen on roads and in parking lots. These feral chickens are of scientific interest, as they can provide clues about the modern-day chicken’s biology. However, until now, there was limited or no knowledge of the gut microbiota of these feral birds. That’s according to Professor Rajesh Jha of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources ( CTAHR ) Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences . For the first time, Jha’s research team sequenced the intestinal microbiota of the Hawaiian feral chicken and explored the cecal (referring to a specific part of the intestine) microbiota profile of commercial chickens. “Since microbial populations are instrumental to their host’s health, we hope that our work will help determine what bacteria are dominant and what potential roles they play, either beneficial or non-beneficial,” said Jha. Knowing the healthy gut mic...

Diverse gut microbiota plays a significant role in host metabolism, growth performance, nutrient digestion, and overall health of birds. The composition of chicken gut microbiota depends on age, especially at the early stages of life, genotype, farming conditions/environment, and diet/feed additives. Sometimes, the gut microbiota composition can be altered severely by non-infectious or infectious stressors. Consequently, this dysbiosis can impact intestinal morphology and activities (e.g., increased permeability of the intestine, higher risk of bacterial infection, sepsis, inflammation, and reduced digestion). Probiotics can affect the health, performance, and disease risk of the hosts, as they can amend the dysbiosis and improve the balance of gut microbiota in healthy hosts by reducing the proliferation of pathogenic species and increasing the beneficial bacteria. The most commonly used probiotic species belong to the genera Lactobacillus ,  Streptococcus ,  Bacil...

Photo Courtesy: Prof. Dr. Rajesh Jha Compared to the fattening up power of soybeans and corn, high-fiber animal feeds are often considered to be inefficient for optimal growth and production. But livestock producers may want to reconsider that stance. That’s according to Associate Professor Rajesh Jha of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences . “Our lab has studied many alternative feed components for developing cost-effective and sustainable animal production systems and, in the process, found many functional benefits of dietary fiber not previously appreciated,” Jha noted. Although fibrous feedstuffs typically have fewer calories and relatively lower nutritional values, the higher level of dietary fiber works to improve the animal’s gut health by modulating beneficial microorganisms in the large intestine, the same way as in humans. This benefits the immune function, as well as ove...