Research Project: Development of New Technologies and Methods to Enhance the Fertility, Utilization, and Long-Term Storage of Poultry and Swine Germplasm

Location: Animal Biosciences & Biotechnology Laboratory

Publications (Clicking on the reprint icon will take you to the publication reprint.)

Identifying a suitable semen cryopreservation protocol for the restricted ovulatory leghorn chicken by screening permeable and non-permeable cryoprotectant agents - (Peer Reviewed Journal)

Effect of commercial genetic selection on gene expression in the developing neuroendocrine system of broilers - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Sinpru, P., Diehl, K.M., Ellestad, L., Porter, T. 2025. Effect of commercial genetic selection on gene expression in the developing neuroendocrine system of broilers. Poultry Science. 105(2). Article e106331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2025.106331.

Effect of early-life thermal conditioning on mRNA expression in tissues under heat stress and non-heat stress conditions in broiler chickens - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Kamkrathok, B., Beckford, R.C., Klug, S., Diehl, K.M., Farley, L., Porter, T.E. 2025. Effect of early-life thermal conditioning on mRNA expression in tissues under heat stress and non-heat stress conditions in broiler chickens. Poultry Science. 105(2). Article 106244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2025.106244.

Validation of a photoelectric sensor system to detect oviposition timing in individually caged broiler breeder hens - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Sroda, L.R., Davis, J.D., Diehl, K.M., Edge, C.M., Berger, M.R., Collins Elliott, K.E., Flack, B., Hanlon, C. 2025. Validation of a photoelectric sensor system to detect oviposition timing in individually caged broiler breeder hens. Poultry Science. 104(12). Article 105932. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2025.105932.

Predicting boar fertility using the sperm mobility assay: method optimization and early predictive modeling using logistic and machine learning approaches - (Peer Reviewed Journal)

Expression of relaxin-3 and its receptors in the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovary axis in layers and broiler breeders - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Boukherroub, K., Kosonsiriluk, S., Santativongchai, P., Chelikandam, J., Ehresmann, L., Diehl, K.M. 2025. Expression of relaxin-3 and its receptors in the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovary axis in layers and broiler breeders. Poultry Science. 104(5). Article e105048. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2025.105048.

Broiler breeder putative lipid biomarkers associated with sperm mobility - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Bond, A., Mills, K.M., Ferreira, C., Harford, I., Flack, B., Long, J.A., Diehl, K.M. 2024. Broiler breeder putative lipid biomarkers associated with sperm mobility. Frontiers in Physiology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2024.1504557.

Adapting lipidomic sample processing methods for boars housed in commercial settings - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Mills, K.M., Minton, A., Ferreira, C. 2024. Adapting lipidomic sample processing methods for boars housed in commercial settings. Translational Animal Science. 8. Article etxae139. https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txae139.

Metabolic shift in porcine spermatozoa during sperm capacitation-induced zinc flux. - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Weide, T., Mills, K.M., Shofner, I., Breitzman, M., Kerns, K. 2024. Metabolic shift in porcine spermatozoa during sperm capacitation-induced zinc flux.. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 25(14). Article e7919. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25147919.

Effect of chronic cyclic heat stress and supplemented inorganic and organic zinc source levels on grow-finish pig growth performance and estimated body composition - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Mills, K.M., Mahoney, J.A., Duttlinger, A.W., Elefson, S.H., Radcliffe, J.S., Rambo, Z.J., Richert, B.T. 2024. Effect of chronic cyclic heat stress and supplemented inorganic and organic zinc source levels on grow-finish pig growth performance and estimated body composition. Translational Animal Science. 8. Article etxae029. https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txae029.

Turkey hen sperm storage tubule transcriptome response to artificial insemination and the presence of semen - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Diehl, K.M., Hanlon, C., Krasnec, K., Long, J.A. 2024. Turkey hen sperm storage tubule transcriptome response to artificial insemination and the presence of semen. Frontiers in Physiology. 14(1). Article e1305168. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2023.1305168.

Vitrified turkey ovarian tissue cultured and assessed through gene expression patterns: A potential screening tool. - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Hall, G.B., Shannon, A.E., Hildenberger, D.M., Diehl, K.M., Long, J.A. 2024. Vitrified turkey ovarian tissue cultured and assessed through gene expression patterns: A potential screening tool.. Cryobiology. 114. Article e104837. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cryobiol.2023.104837.

First person—Kayla Mills - (Abstract Only)
Mills, K.M. 2023. First person—Kayla Mills. Biology Open. https://doi.org/10.1242/bio.060102.

Low colostrum intake results in accumulation of peroxisome lipid substrates in stratified epithelial vaginal tissue of 3 week old gilts - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Mills, K.M., Sheets, J., Teeple, K., Mann, A., Suarez-Trujillo, A., Stewart, K., Ferreira, C., Casey, T. 2023. Low colostrum intake results in accumulation of peroxisome lipid substrates in stratified epithelial vaginal tissue of 3 week old gilts. Biology Open. https://doi.org/10.1242/bio.060044.

Global gene expression of the turkey hen reproductive axis during the preovulatory hormonal surge - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Diehl, K.M., Liu, H., Hicks, J., Long, J.A., Porter, T.E. 2023. Global gene expression of the turkey hen reproductive axis during the preovulatory hormonal surge. Poultry Science. 102(4). Article e102547. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2023.102547.