EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY has opened a new research facility to provide insights into livestock and human health.

The Large Animal Research and Imaging Facility (LARIF) aims to enhance both food security and the health and welfare of farmed animals through research aimed at producing livestock that are genetically more resistant to disease, and by the development of improved vaccines.

Research will additionally safeguard human health by helping to tackle food-borne infections and developing strategies against antimicrobial resistance.

This new facility is based at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies' Easter Bush Campus, alongside the prestigious Roslin Institute and wider CIEL-partnered livestock investments.

The LARIF houses a combination of imaging, surgical, gene-editing and infection containment facilities, offering specialist capability for in-depth studies into the health and wellbeing of all major farmed livestock.

Also housed at the LARIF is the Wellcome Trust-funded Critical Care Laboratory for Large Animals, which supports the study of large animal biology with all the resources of a human hospital. Skilled vets, who are European and Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons-recognised specialists in veterinary anaesthesia, provide round-the-clock care for animals involved in studies.

Advanced medical imaging equipment on site, including CT, MRI, fluoroscopy and ultrasound, enables detailed understanding of anatomy and body composition in livestock, as well as monitoring progression of disease processes in different organs, and their response to treatment.

Studies at the LARIF will also investigate human conditions. Large animal species are valuable biomedical models for studying human diseases and developing new medical technologies. Treatments developed in this way are more likely to be successful.

Head of the Royal Dick, Professor David John Argyle, said: “The LARIF is a unique and world-leading facility that significantly enhances our ability to study human and animal health. Taking this multidisciplinary approach is a key focus for the University and can lead to significant advances in medicine, veterinary medicine and agricultural science.”

Chief Scientific Adviser to BEIS, Professor John Loughhead, CB OBE, added: “Agricultural technologies are a sometimes unrecognised but important component in supporting the agriculture industry to cut its emissions and develop sustainable farming practices - helping to meet the Government’s ambitions to reach net zero emissions by 2050.”

The new facility is supported by a £25 million investment from the University of Edinburgh and Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock, which includes £10.6 million of funding from Innovate UK, the UK’s Innovation Agency.