The Roslin Institute has joined the National Research Organisations (NRO) Group, launched with support from Science Minister Lord Patrick Vallance. It brings together more than 100 leaders from government, research, academia, industry and funding organisations.

Prof Bruce Whitelaw, former Roslin Director, was awarded the Royal Highland Agricultural Society of Scotland’s silver medal by James Logan, Chair of RHASS, and Prof Julie Fitzpatrick, Lothian Director of RHASS, for his outstanding contribution to animal biotechnology and genetics in Scotland.

New viruses capable of infecting humans continue to be discovered every year, according to a global study involving Roslin researchers. The most comprehensive catalogue of human-infective viruses to date supports disease surveillance, as well as outbreak prediction and preparedness.

To celebrate 30 years since the birth of Dolly the Sheep, we asked colleagues across our campus what the world's most famous sheep means to them. Here's a selection of their responses. What does Dolly mean to you? Share your thoughts in the comments. 🐑 #DollyTheSheep #1996

Roslin Reels - The Roslin Institute's Chrissy Rochus talks about her team's work on DNA diversity in livestock. For more information on our research, check out our website: www.roslin.ed.ac.uk #RoslinReels #LivestockHealth #GeneticResearch #FarmAnimals

Studies of a transmissible cancer in sheep could improve livestock health and welfare, prevent losses, and aid understanding of human lung cancer. The large animal model is advancing research into Ovine Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma (OPA), and offers insights into human disease. edin.ac/4eNiAXH

Congratulations to our former director Professor Bruce Whitelaw, who has been made an OBE in the King’s birthday honours. Professor Whitelaw worked at the Roslin Institute for almost four decades, and served as Director from 2022 until 2025. #BirthdayHonours #OBE

Prof Neil Mabbott discusses the latest developments in using AI towards designing a universal vaccine, in The Conversation. edin.ac/4ukwwxT #Vaccines #AI

Prof Kenny Baillie, a pioneer in understanding and treating infectious diseases including Covid-19, gave an overview of his career at a recent inaugural lecture showcase. He shared the stage with Prof Jim Wilson, who studies genetic influences on disease risk. Watch again: edin.ac/3RLUswP

Prof Mark Stevens studies bacteria that cause foodborne diseases, such as salmonella and E. coli. His team seeks to understand how to manage these organisms in livestock, and inform development of vaccines or treatments to mitigate them. Watch our Roslin Reel to learn more. #WorldFoodSafetyDay

Prof Rowland Kao uses data science to understand the intersection between responses to climate change and the spread of infectious diseases in people, livestock and wild animals. Find out more in this Roslin Reel. #WorldEnvironmentDay #ClimateChange

Genomic tools could help support the long-term management of critically endangered eastern black rhinos in Kenya. This will help conservation teams make evidence-based decisions as rhino numbers continue to recover. #WildlifeConservation edin.ac/43dFy4O

Roslin Reels - Tim Connelley talks about his team's work on developing animal vaccines. For more information on our research, check out our website: www.roslin.ed.ac.uk #AnimalHealth #VaccineDevelopment

A bacteria linked to mastitis in dairy cattle has evolved to access nutrients in milk, enabling it to sustain infection in cows' udders, scientists have shown. Their findings highlight potential ways to control the infection in livestock. #WorldMilkDay edin.ac/463lu7b

Breeding poultry to shed less virus through feather dust could help improve flock-level protection against Marek’s disease. Our scientists found that vaccination reduced virus shedding and helped protect susceptible flock mates, while genetic resistance did not reduce spread. @uoe-eid.bsky.social

Efforts to expand woodland in Scotland should consider disease risks linked to increased contact between wildlife and livestock, research suggests. The findings highlight the importance of careful planning to support environmental goals and livestock health. #LandManagement @uoe-eid.bsky.social

Roslin scientists are joining a UK initiative to study Andes hantavirus, following an outbreak of disease on a cruise ship. The team will use an established protocol to enable rapid, standardised data and sample collection.

Our scientists will join a multi-disciplinary effort to address a major gap in pandemic preparedness around the world. The Edinburgh Pandemic Research Forum aims to improve understanding of the impacts of pandemics on people, communities, businesses, services, and the environment. edin.ac/4dqhDVR

Pigs could help scientists better understand toxoplasmosis, a common parasitic infection that can cause serious illness in vulnerable people. Humans and pigs use similar immune responses to fight toxoplasma infection, strengthening the case for pigs as a model for studying the disease.

Artificial light during darkness can have significant effects on animals’ biological functions. The results add to evidence that living things benefit from natural light and dark cycles, and should inform conservation, scientists say. edin.ac/4nsMrbF #LightPollution #UrbanWildlife

Roslin Reels - The Roslin Institute's Mizeck Chagunda talks about his team's work on tropical livestock challenges. For more information on our research, check out our website: www.roslin.ed.ac.uk

Dr Daniel Tolhurst uses his expertise in statistics and genetics to inform breeding of animals and plants in a changing climate. Read more about his work in our latest Meet our Scientists interview. #MeetOurScientists #GeneticGain #Breeding #AnimalResearch #AnimalBioscience edin.ac/4dujRTU

Professor Paul Digard, an expert in flu viruses, is studying the ongoing bird flu outbreak and its pandemic potential. Learn more about his work in our Roslin Reel short. For more on our research, visit our website: vet.ed.ac.uk/roslin #WorldPoultryDay #FluViruses #AvianFlu #BirdFlu

We are pleased to welcome Professor John Hammond as Director of the Roslin Institute. Prof Hammond joins from The Pirbright Institute, where he was Director of Research and led the Immunogenetics Group. He brings a strong track record in animal bioscience and a clear vision for advancing research.

Insights into immunity in one of the world’s most popular seafood species, the Pacific whiteleg shrimp, could help efforts to manage white spot disease, a costly, common viral infection. edin.ac/4emIa7m #Aquaculture

Today marks World DNA Day. Rapid DNA analysis is helping our researchers and clinicians detect infections faster, guide targeted treatments, and reduce reliance on broad-spectrum antibiotics in veterinary medicine. Read the full blog to learn how this approach is improving animal health:

Experts from the UK and Europe gathered for a two-day event on limiting the use of animals in scientific research. A mix of talks and discussion defined the current landscape and considered opportunities, challenges and priorities for stakeholders. edin.ac/4mJJfrS #AnimalResearch #3Rs

Prof Maria Forlenza seeks to fill gaps in our understanding of how animals mount immune responses, and how this compares across species. In an interview, she shares how she finds the Roslin Institute to be a diverse, motivating environment with an abundance of expertise. edin.ac/4tbqboH

Infectious disease remains one of the biggest threats to agriculture, driving up to 30–40% production losses. At the 2026 AGBT Agricultural Meeting, Andrea Doeschl-Wilson from @roslininstitute.bsky.social challenged a core assumption in how we approach this problem. #AGBTAg26 #agriculture

Roslin Reels - The Roslin Institute's Paul Digard talks about his team's work on understanding flu viruses. For more information on our research, check out our website: www.roslin.ed.ac.uk #BirdFlu #AnimalResearch

Researchers from Roslin shared a stage with experts from SRUC and Farmers Weekly last night, for a lively, wide-ranging, interactive event on the Future of Livestock Farming at the Edinburgh Science Festival. Thank you to our panellists and audience for sharing their perspectives. #EdSciFest

Antibiotic resistance is circulating across people, animals and the environment in poultry farming systems in central Malawi, research shows. These findings highlight the need for targeted stewardship and a One Health approach to help safeguard the effectiveness of vital medicines. #AMR #OneHealth

Professor Andrea Wilson is a featured speaker at the Advances in Genome Biology and Technology (AGBT) 2026 Agricultural Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, next week. Prof Wilson will discuss approaches and novel insights on breeding for reduced disease transmission. www.agbt.org/home/home/ag...

Dr Simon Lillico spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live's Naga Munchetty about the science of cloning - if you missed it, you can listen again on the link below, at 2hr 19mins.

Roslin researchers have developed an AI tool that predicts bone strength in chickens from X-ray images. The automated system offers a fast, non-invasive way to assess bone health. The approach could support large-scale breeding for stronger bones and help reduce fractures in egg-laying hens.

Built-in defence systems are shaping how disease-causing bacteria Staphylococcus aureus evolves by limiting which genes can enter the cell. Understanding these processes could support new approaches to tackling antimicrobial resistance. #BacterialInfection @uoe-eid.bsky.social

Join our experts at the Edinburgh Science Festival for a panel discussion on the science and impact of gene editing in agriculture. Ask questions and vote in live polls to share your views at the event. 📆 7-8pm, Thursday 9 April, Bayes Centre.

The anti-histamine drug clemastine shows promise as an alternative to antibiotics. Research shows it can trigger immune cells, known as macrophages, to destroy harmful bacteria. #AntimicrobialResistance #Macrophages Read the full news story: edin.ac/4rM68wH

Roslin Reels - The Roslin Institute's Kanchan Phadwal talks about her team's work on cell recycling in Atlantic salmon. For more information on our research, check out our website: www.roslin.ed.ac.uk #Aquaculture #AtlanticSalmon #FishHealth

A Roslin collaboration with industry towards improved health and welfare in farmed salmon is featured in a report on innovation in the sector. The review finds projects worth more than £183 million have been delivered since 2018, largely by producers working with universities.

Our researchers identified a surface protein, CD13, that makes beef stem cells far more likely to develop into fat, producing 10 times more on average than cells without the protein. The findings suggest that selecting high-capacity stem cells could support scaling up cultivated fat production.

Roslin researchers have shown that a common bacteria evolved an enhanced ability to break down the main protein in milk after moving from humans to cattle. This adaptation helps the bacteria survive in the udder and sustain infection, offering insights into tackling mastitis in dairy herds.

Chicken eggs exposed to light during development give rise to chicks that respond more to their environment compared with eggs that are developed in darkness, research with birds has shown. #PoultryWelfare #AvianDevelopment #AnimalResearch

Our researchers explored how data models are being used to inform policy decisions on antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Findings point to the need for close collaboration between scientists, modellers and policymakers as key to tackling AMR across One Health settings. @uoe-eid.bsky.social #OneHealth

Roslin scientists are bringing their expertise to a UK-wide initiative to develop lab-based models to reduce or replace the use of animals in research, where feasible. The project will seek to create novel resources to study pigs, cattle, sheep, chickens and fish.

Professor John Hammond, current Director of Research at The Pirbright Institute, has been appointed the next Director of the Roslin Institute. The genetics, genomics, and immunology expert is expected to take up the position in May. #Director #AcademicCareers bit.ly/4qLsqOy

The bovine TB vaccine stimulates production of key immune cells, a study in calves shows. The findings help explain the biological processes behind the BCG vaccine, and will inform development of more efficient vaccines. edin.ac/3Zc8GqZ #BovineTB #Vaccine #BCG #AnimalScience @uoe-eid.bsky.social

Roslin Reels - The Roslin Institute's Tim Bean talks about his team's work on healthy, sustainable seafood. For more information on our research, check out our website: www.roslin.ed.ac.uk #RoslinReels #Aquaculture

In our latest #MeetOurScientists interview, Professor Jonathan Rushton, Chair of Economics of Animal Health, shares insights from a global career in animal health economics, including how data and economic analysis help prioritise disease control and strengthen food systems. Full interview:

Scientists will use Roslin stem cell technology in a £1.6m study to understand why domestic pigs are susceptible to African Swine Fever, whereas African wild pigs have innate resistance to infection. edin.ac/4iXhnyF #StemCells #AnimalBioscience