Postdoc position: Alternative methods to sample blood in pigs

Agroscope is looking for a:

Postdoc position: Alternative methods to sample blood in pigs

80%-80% / 1725 Posieux

good food, healthy environment
Blood (plasma, serum) is by far the most widely used source to derive biomarkers for metabolic and health traits in pigs. The large veins (e.g., jugular or cephalic veins) that are usually punctured in large animal veterinary practices are not visible in pigs due to their thick skin. To date, blood sampling is commonly performed by venipuncture solely based on anatomical landmarks, and catheterisation can only be performed under general anaesthesia, which affects animal welfare and may affect the primary metabolic readouts.

This Postdoc will identify, test, and implement novel tools, proxies, and technologies to obtain and analyse blood samples in pigs. Strategies to be assessed will include; (1) testing sensors readily used in Human to monitor in real time metabolism parameters; (2) finger prick method and analyses in a drop of blood; and (3) Infra-red camera; and (4) blood suckling parasites to replace venipuncture. You will also undertake internships at INRAE (Rennes, France) and FBN (Dummerstorf, Germany), where you will perform animal experiment and laboratory analyses, respectively.

About us

Agroscope is the Swiss federal centre of excellence for research in the agriculture and food sector. Its researchers carry out their work at a number of sites in Switzerland. Headquartered in Bern-Liebefeld (as of 2025: Posieux FR), Agroscope is attached to the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research EAER.
The Swine Research Unit at Agroscope Posieux carries out research on pig nutrition and pig physiology. A major focus of our research is on piglet development. By participating in the PigWeb consortium, you will obtain in-depth training in responsible experimental pig research, pig physiology and bioanalysis. In addition, you will widen your network by interacting with numerous PigWeb partners from 10 European countries.

This Postdoc will take place in the research team of Dr. Giuseppe Bee, leading the Swine Research Unit at Agroscope. The work will be supervised by Dr. Catherine Ollagnier and co-supervised by Dr Florence Gondret (INRAE, France) and by Dr Michael Oster (FBN, Germany).