ZINC IS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT NEEDED EVERY DAY IN THE DIET OF ANIMALS AND HUMANS. BECAUSE ANIMALS CAN ONLY USE SOME OF THE ZINC FROM PLANT-BASED FOODS, PIG DIETS HAVE ZINC ADDED. GIVING THE SOWS 5 TIMES AS MUCH ZINC AS IT IS IN THEIR NORMAL DIET A FEW WEEKS BEFORE SHE GIVES BIRTH, INCREASES THE SURVIVAL OF THE PIGLETS. THE SOW WILL POOP OUT MOST OF THE ZINC AND THE INCREASE OF ZINC IN MANURE IS NOT GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. OVERTIME, THERE WILL BE A LOT OF ZINC IN THE SOIL AND IT WILL BE TOXIC FOR VEGETATION AND OTHER FORMS OF LIFE. WE THINK THAT WE CAN FIND WAYS TO USE ZINC MORE ACCURATELY, USE IT ONLY WHEN IT IS NEEDED, OR THAT WE CAN FIND ANOTHER WAY TO GIVE US THE SAME RESULT OF INCREASING SURVIVAL OF NEWBORN PIGS AS ZINC DOES. THAT'S WHY WE WILL INVESTIGATE WHAT IS THE BODY'S RESPONSE TO ZINC, AND SEARCH FOR MOLECULES IN THE PIGLET AND SOW BODY THAT CAN HELP IN FINDING MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE OPTIONS FOR IMPROVING THE SURVIVAL OF PIGLETS.TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL, WE PARTNERED WITH A LOCAL FARMER TO FEED SOWS THREE DIETARY PLANS: 1) REGULAR AMOUNTS OF ZINC OVER THE ENTIRE PREGNANCY, 2) DIETS THAT CONTAIN A HIGH AMOUNT OF ZINC OVER THE COURSE OF PREGNANCY, 3) OR A HIGH AMOUNT OF ZINC A FEW DAYS PRIOR TO PARTURITION. WE COLLECTED DATA ON SURVIVAL OF NEWBORN PIGS AND TOOK SAMPLES FOR THE DISCOVERY OF NEW INDICATORS OF THE INCREASE IN THE SURVIVAL OF NEWBORN PIGS. IN ADDITION, THESE CAN BE USED AS A BASE TO FIND THE ZINC STATUS DURING PREGNANCY TO LEARN IF ZINC SUPPLEMENTS ARE NEEDED IN HUMANS. WE WANT TO INCREASE THE SURVIVAL OF NEWBORN PIGS WHILE PRESERVING THE ENVIRONMENT.