AS THE WORLD'S POPULATION INCREASES, THERE IS A NEED TO INCREASE PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY AND QUANTITY OF PROTEIN SOURCES, INCLUDING MEAT. POOR MATERNAL NUTRITION (OVER- AND RESTRICTED FEEDING) DURING GESTATION INCREASES INFLAMMATION AND OXIDATIVE STRESS IN THE OFFSPRING, ALTERING HEALTH AND METABOLISM IN A GENDER DEPENDENT MANNER. HOWEVER, THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF OXIDATIVE STRESS, INFLAMMATION AND METABOLISM TO OVERALL ANIMAL GROWTH IS NOT WELL-UNDERSTOOD. FURTHER, THESE CHANGES ARE OFTEN PASSED ON TO FUTURE GENERATIONS, POSSIBLY INCREASING THE MAGNITUDE OF THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DETERMINE HOW POOR MATERNAL DIET DURING GESTATION (OVER- AND RESTRICTED-FEEDING) ALTERS THE METABOLISM, INFLAMMATORY STATUS, AND OXIDATIVE STRESS IN TWO GENERATIONS OF OFFSPRING, AND TO FURTHER IDENTIFY WHICH OF THESE ARE MOSTLY HIGHLY RELATED TO CHANGES IN OFFSPRING GROWTH. WE EXPECT TO IDENTIFY CHANGES IN THE FEED EFFICIENCY, GLUCOSE TOLERANCE, PRESENCE OF INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES, AND BALANCE OF PRO- AND ANTI-OXIDANTS IN OFFSPRING OF POORLY NOURISHED MOTHERS. FURTHER, WE EXPECT THAT THESE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF POOR MATERNAL DIET WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCED GROWTH OF THE OFFSPRING, AND THAT THESE CHANGES WILL PERSIST ACROSS MULTIPLE GENERATIONS OF OFFSPRING. THIS INFORMATION WILL ALLOW US TO DEVELOP TARGETED INTERVENTIONS TO IMPROVE OFFSPRING HEALTH AND GROWTH, LEADING TO MORE EFFICIENT PRODUCTION OF QUALITY PROTEIN SOURCES.