THE ISSUESTHE WORLD IS BECOMING PROGRESSIVELY HOTTER AND CROWDED AND WATER AVAILABILITY IS A GROWING CONCERN. FEEDING THE GLOBAL POPULATION WITHIN PLANETARY BOUNDARIES WILL REQUIRE GREATER ANIMAL PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY. IT WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE TO FEED THE US AND THE WORLD WITH ADEQUATE ANIMAL PROTEIN WITHOUT SUSTAINABLE US BROILER (MEAT CHICKEN) PRODUCTION. FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES OF AGRICULTURE GLOBALLY ARE TO PRODUCE ENOUGH FOOD IN WAYS THAT ARE ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE AND ECONOMICALLY VIABLE. CURRENTLY, MUCH OF THE 54 BILLION KG OF FEED AND 108 BILLION KG OF WATER CONSUMED BY THE 9 BILLION BROILERS PRODUCED ANNUALLY IN THE US IS NOT FULLY UTILIZED DUE TO DIFFERENCES (UP TO 25%) IN FEED AND WATER USE EFFICIENCY. A 1% IMPROVEMENT IN WATER USE BY BROILERS COULD SAVE OVER 200 MILLION GALLONS ANNUALLY IN THE US. HOT WEATHER, FAST GROWTH, AND A SHIFT TO LARGER BIRD PRODUCTION RENDER BROILERS SUSCEPTIBLE TO SUBOPTIMAL HEALTH, MUSCULAR-SKELETAL DISORDERS, AND MORTALITY. SUPPLIES OF SOYBEAN, ACRITICAL COMPONENT IN BROILER DIETS WILL BE LIMITING IN THE FUTURE. THE US POULTRY INDUSTRY GENERATES APPROXIMATELY 55 MILLION TONS OF DRY POULTRY LITTER (WASTE) AND OVER 1 MILLION TONS OF FEATHERS PER YEAR THAT REPRESENT OPPORTUNITIES TO RECOVER NUTRIENTS AND INCREASE EFFICIENCY IN THE INDUSTRY.ALTHOUGH TODAY'S POULTRY INDUSTRY PERSONNEL REQUIRE EDUCATION TO PREPARE FOR CAREERS IN POULTRY SCIENCE INCLUDING A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE,MOST MAJOR ANIMAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENTS HAVE DISCONTINUED POULTRY CURRICULA. THIS DOES NOT MATCH THE NEEDS OF POULTRY INDUSTRY AS THE LARGEST REVENUE CONTRIBUTOR TO ANIMAL AGRICULTURE, AND CAUSES A SHORTAGE IN QUALIFIED WORKFORCE. MINORITY REPRESENTATION IN POULTRY SCIENCE PROGRAMS IN COLLEGES, INCLUDING HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, REMAINS EXTREMELY LOW AND DOES NOT REFLECT NATIONAL DEMOGRAPHICS. THERE IS A LACK OF MENTORS WHOM MINORITY STUDENTS AND FOR MANY MINORITY STUDENTS, THE ONLY INFORMATION ABOUT AGRICULTURAL CAREERS IS NEGATIVE. THUS, IT IS CRUCIAL TO REACH OUT TO THESE STUDENTS EARLY TO PROVIDE THEM WITH ACCURATE INFORMATION ON POULTRY SCIENCE CAREERS SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE WELL-INFORMED CAREER CHOICES.EXTENSION OUTREACH IS VITAL TO THE SUCCESS OF ANY RESEARCH PROGRAM BECAUSE IT CONFERS KNOWLEDGE TO EVERYONEWITHIN AND OUTSIDE THE RESEARCH COMMUNITY. THE CHALLENGE IS TO PERSUADE INDIVIDUALS TO STEP OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE AND TRY SOMETHING NEW THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR ALL. THE INTEGRATION OF INDUSTRY AND THE WIDE AVAILABILITY OF INTERNET HAVE ALSO COMPLETELY CHANGED THE EXTENSION OPERATION AND EFFECTIVENESS. IT IS OUR OBLIGATION TO FIND THE MOST EFFECTIVE PLATFORM TO ENGAGE DIFFERENT TYPES OF STAKEHOLDERS AND THE PUBLIC WITH THE CORRECT INFORMATION IN A TIMELY FASHION.APPROACH-METHODOLOGIESRESEARCHTHE MAJOR RESEARCH FOCUS IS ON WATER USE EFFICIENCY IN BROILERS PRODUCTION. THIS PROJECT WILL ADDRESS SEVERAL FACETS OF WATER EFFICIENCY BY;A) DEVELOPING BIOMARKERS OF WATER EFFICIENCY. IN THESE STUDIES, BROILERS WILL BE TESTED INDIVIDUALLY FOR WATER USE EFFICIENCY BY DETERMINING THE AMOUNT OF WATER CONSUMED PER POUND OF BODY WEIGHT. THOSE WITH HIGHEST WATER EFFICIENCY WILL BE USED AS BREEDING STOCK FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF BIRDS. TISSUES (E.G. BLOOD, MUSCLE, LIVER, FAT, GUT, BRAIN) FROM OFFSPRING WILL BE ANALYZED TO DETERMINE GENES OR PROTEINS THAT ARE HIGHLY CORRELATED WITH WATER EFFICIENCY THAT COULD BE USED IN GENETIC SELECTION. WE WILL ASSESS IF BIRDS THAT ARE MORE WATER EFFICIENT ARE ALSO MORE TOLERANT TO HEAT STRESS CONDITIONS. OFFSPRING OF THESE BIRDS WILL THEN BE CHALLENGED BY DETERMINING GROWTH WITH DIETS THAT HAVE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON WATER EXCRETION.B) REDUCING THE IMPACT OF COMMON DIETARY INGREDIENTS THAT CAUSE 'LEAKY GUT'. NONSTARCH POLYSACCHARIDES IN THE LOWER GUT DISRUPT THE MICROBIAL ECOLOGY (MICROBIOME) IN THE GUT AND GUT INTEGRITY THAT INCREASE WATER LOSS, LAMENESS, MUSCLE MYOPATHIES, DECREASE IMMUNITY, AND INCREASE MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY. THESE STUDIES WILL BE CARRIED OUT WITH CURRENT COMMERCIAL BROILERS AND SLOWER GROWING LINES TO DETERMINE WHAT HAS CHANGED IN THE BIRDS IN RESPONSE TO GENETIC SELECTION FOR FAST GROWTH AND FEED EFFICIENCY. STUDIES WILL BE CONDUCTED TO INVESTIGATE IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENT ENRICHMENT TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY WHILE LOWERING MUSCLE AND BONE DISORDER ISSUES.C) IMPROVING WATER USE EFFICIENCY NEEDED FOR COOLING POULTRY HOUSES DURING HOT WEATHER. A MISTING SYSTEM WILL BE INVESTIGATED THAT CAN COOL THE POULTRY HOUSES MORE EFFECTIVELY WHILE USING MUCH LESS WATER THAT CONVENTIONAL EVAPORATIVE COOLING PADS.D) UTILIZING MICROALGAE AS A SUSTAINABLE HIGH-VALUE PROTEIN COMPONENT IN POULTRY DIETS. STUDIES WILL INVESTIGATE THE USE OF MICROALGAE TO REPLACE SOME SOYBEAN MEAL (UP TO 3%) WHICH IS THE MAJOR SOURCE OF PROTEIN IN COMMERCIAL POULTRY DIETS, THEREBY REDUCING WATER NEEDED TO PRODUCE COMMERCIAL BROILER FEED. MICROALGAE WILL BE ENGINEERED TO PRODUCE ENZYMES THAT CAN DIGEST FEATHERS TO PRODUCE HIGH QUALITY PROTEIN TO A) FEED BROILER, B)CONVERT POULTRY WASTE INTO BIOFUELS, C) TO CAPTURE NUTRIENTS IN POULTRY LITTER, AND D) TO INCREASE WHOLESOMENESS OF POULTRY MEAT BY INCREASING UNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS (FOR HEART HEALTH) AND VITAMIN D (FOR BONE HEALTH) IN CONSUMERS OF POULTRY MEAT.EDUCATION-TEACHINGWE WILL INCREASE AWARENESS AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN POULTRY SCIENCE AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN SEVERAL WAYS. INTERNSHIPS WILL BE OFFERED FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS TO ATTEND A DIFFERENT INSTITUTION WITH INVOLVEMENTIN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE RESEARCH. WE WILL ENHANCE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINORITY STUDENTS TO RECEIVE FORMAL COURSEWORK IN POULTRY SCIENCE IN WHICH STUDENTS AT UNIV. OF ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF ATTEND UNIV. OF ARKANSAS FAYETTEVILLE AND OBTAIN 30 HOURS OF POULTRY SCIENCE COURSE CREDITS TOWARDS THEIR UNDERGRADUATE MAJOR DEGREE AT UAPB. OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE RESEARCH BY MINORITIES WILL BE FACILITATED BY GRADUATE STUDENT STIPEND AND RESEARCH SUPPORT. A MASTERS OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE SYSTEMS WILL BE DEVELOPED THAT WILL CONTAIN A CAPSTONE PROBLEM WITH A REAL-LIFE PROBLEM SUCH AS WATER USE EFFICIENCY THAT THE STUDENT WILL RESEARCH DURING THE PROGRAM.OUTREACHWE WILL USE SEVERAL METHODS TO REACH AS BROAD AND DIVERSE AUDIENCE AS POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION TO THE 'TRADITIONAL' AUDIENCES SUCH AS POULTRY GROWERS, ALLIED INDUSTRY, 4-H AND FFA YOUTH PROGRAMS, WE WILL EXTEND DELIVERY OF INFORMATION TO A BROAD AND DIVERSE AUDIENCE INCLUDING HISPANICS, MARSHELLESE, LAOTIAN, VIETNAMESE, HMONG, MENNONITE GROWERS, CHOCTAW AND OTHER REGIONAL TRIBES. WE WILL CONDUCT ON FARM DEMONSTRATIONS OF NEW TECHNIQUES AND METHODOLOGIES. WE WILL DISSEMINATE INFORMATION ELECTRONICALLY IN AN EXTENSION PUBLICATION, AVIAN ADVICE AND IN A SMALL FLOCK NEWSLETTER THAT WAS LAUNCHED THIS YEAR. WE WILL ALSO TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE SUSTAINABILITY TO MEET FUTURE NEEDS.GOALS AND IMPACT ACCOMPLISHING OUR OBJECTIVES WILL HELP THE US IN FULFILLING THE 25 YEAR GOALS OF USDA THAT INCLUDES; MAINTAINING 2% TOTAL GROSS DOMESTIC GROWTH, IMPROVING P/N/WATER EFFICIENCY BY 50%, PRODUCING 50 BILLION GALLONS OF BIOFUEL, AND ENHANCING HUMAN HEALTH. OUR STRENGTH COMES FROM A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF EXPERTISE IN FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND BIOLOGY, APPLIED POULTRY PRODUCTION, ENGINEERING, MANAGEMENT, AND ECONOMICS, AND STATE-OF ART FACILITIES. OUR TEACHING WILL IMPLEMENT NEW LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THAT INCLUDE STUDENT EXCHANGES AND FIELD INTERNSHIPS. OUR EXTENSION OUTREACH PROGRAM WILL FEATURE BOTH CONVENTIONAL AND EMERGING MEANS TO REACH AND ENGAGE OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND BROAD AUDIENCE.