Dr Isabelle Ruhnke

Associate Professor in Animal Science - School of Environmental and Rural Science

Isabelle Ruhnke

Phone: +61 2 6773 5155

Email: iruhnke@une.edu.au

Biography

Isabelle graduated in Veterinary Medicine from the Freie Universität Berlin in 2008. While being a student worker at the Institute of Animal Nutrition and the Small Animal Clinic for many years, she continued her interest in nutrition and gastrointestinal diseases by joining the Gastrointestinal Laboratory at Texas A&M University, USA, as a research assistant. Focusing on techniques for evaluating and regulating gastrointestinal transporters and their diagnostic value, Dr. Ruhnke completed her doctorate thesis on companion animals (dogs and cats). Isabelle joined the Small Animal Clinic at the Freie Universität Berlin, Germany, performing an internship (applied veterinary care in all areas of companion animal medicine). She worked on the impact of feed technologies and feed particle size on broiler chickens and laying hens at the Institute of Animal Nutrition, Freie Universität Berlin. Nutrition, health and welfare of chickens became her passion, so Isabelle joined UNE in May 2014. Her future is dedicated to the nutritional management of free range laying hens.

Qualifications

  • April 2014: Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Sciences (PhD), College of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
  • April 2014: Veterinarian Specialist for Animal Nutrition and Dietetics, German Board of Veterinary Medicine, Division of Berlin, Germany
  • June 2013: Master of Small Animal Sciences (M.Sc.), College of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
  • June 2011: Graduation (Dr.Med.Vet), College of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
  • January 2008: Graduation (DVM), College of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

Awards

Dean’s Award for Early Career Research Excellence (2019)

Teaching Areas

  • Animal nutrition (all species),
  • Animal feed (all varieties, processing, additives, laws and regulations of the European Union),
  • Commercial poultry nutrition, and
  • Animal Biosecurity

Research Interests

Interest in animal health, welfare and nutrition to complement research in managing free range poultry production including:

  • The nutritional impact of feed on odour emission in broiler chickens
  • The effect of feed on the immune system in Necrotic Enteritis Model (broiler chickens)
  • The effect of parasite infection on the immune system
  • The impact of enzymes on fiber digestion in chickens
  • The influence of insect feeding on free range chickens

Publications

Iqbal Z, Metzger F, Singh M, Morgan N, Swick RA, Perez-Maldonado RA, M’Sadeq S, Zentek J, Ruhnke I (2018)
Enzymes and/or combination of organic acid and essential oils supplementation in pasture-fed free-range laying hens increased the digestibility of nutrients and non-starch polysaccharides
Poultry Science – https://doi.org/10.3382/ps/pey479

Dao TH, Hunt PW, Sharma N, Swick RA, Barzegar S, Hine B, McNally J, Bell A, Ruhnke I (2018)
Analysis of antibody levels in egg yolk for detection of exposure to Ascaridia galli parasites in commercial laying hens
Poultry Science – https://doi.org/10.3382/ps/pey383

Dao TH, Hunt PW, Hine B, RA Swick, Ruhnke I (2018)
The relationship between anti-Ascaridia galli antibody levels in the egg yolk and number of excreta worm eggs by ELISA test
Journal of Animal Husbandry Sciences and Technics, 235 (25): 84-89

Iqbal Z, Drake K, Swick RA, Perez-Maldonado RA, Ruhnke I (2018)
Feed particle selection and nutrient intake altered by pecking stone consumption and beak length in free-range laying hens
Animal Nutrition – doi: 10.1016/j.aninu.2018.05.003

Sharma N, Hunt PW, Hine BC, Sharma NK, Swick RA, Ruhnke I (2018)
Detection of Ascaridia galli infection in free-range laying hens
Veterinarian Parasitology - doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2018.04.009

Ruhnke I, Normant C, Campbell DLM, Lee C, Hinch G, Roberts J (2018)
The impact of on-range choice feeding with black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) on flock performance, egg quality, and range use of free-range laying hens
Animal Nutrition – doi: 10.1016/j.aninu.2018.03.005

Sharma N, Hunt P, Hine B, Sharma N, Chung A, Swick R, Ruhnke I (2018)
Performance, egg quality and liver lipid reserves of free-range laying hens naturally infected with Ascaridia galli
Poultry Science – doi: 10.3382/ps/pey068

Sharma N, Hunt P; Hine B, McNally J, Sharma N, Iqbal Z, Normant C, Andronicus N, Swick R, Ruhnke I (2018)
The effect of an artificial Ascaridia galli infection on egg production, immune response and liver lipid reserve of free-range laying hens
Poultry Science, 97: 494-502

Sharma N, Hunt P, Hine B, Swick RA, Sharma NK, Ruhnke I (2017)
Ascaridia galli challenge model in laying hens
The Journal of Advances in Parasitology, 4(3):41-46

Iqbal Z, Roberts J, Perez-Maldonado RA, Goodarzi Boroojeni F, Swick RA, Ruhnke I (2017)
Pasture, multi-enzymes, benzoic acid and essential oils positively influence performance, intestinal organ weight and egg quality in free-range laying hens
British Poultry Science – 59(2): 180-189

Sibanda TZ, Ruhnke I (2017)
The impact of feed treatment on the performance of broilers: A review
Lohmann information, 50(2): 18-29

Singh M*, Ruhnke I*, DeKoning C, Drake K, Skerman A, Hinch GN, Glatz, PC (2017)
Free-range poultry survey: demographics and practices of semi-intensive free-range farming systems in Australia with an outdoor stocking density of ≤1500 hens/hectare
PLOS one https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0187057

Ruhnke I, Andronicos N, Hunt P, Hine B, Sharma N, Kheravii S, Wu S-B, Swick R (2017)
Immune response of nematode infection in broiler chickens
Avian Pathology, 46(6): 602-609

Campbell DLM, Lambton SL, Ruhnke I, Weeks CA (2017)
Welfare issues affecting free-range laying hens
In: Achievable Sustainable Egg Production of Eggs, Chapter 25, Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing Limited

Hafeez A, Mader A, Ruhnke I, Männer K, Zentek J (2016)
Effect of feed grinding methods with and without expansion on prececal and total tract mineral digestibility as well as on interior and exterior egg quality in laying hens
Poultry Science, 95(1):62-69

Ruhnke I (2015)
Free-range egg production in Australia – industry trends and challenges
Lohmann information, 50(2): 24-31

Ruhnke I, Röhe I, Goodarzi Boroojeni F, Knorr F, Mader A, Zentek J (2015)
Feed supplemented with organic acids does not affect starch digestibility, nor intestinal absorptive or secretory function in broiler chickens
Journal of Animal Nutrition and Animal Physiology, 99 Suppl S1:29-35

Sharma NK, Choct M, Wu S, Smillie R, Ruhnke I, Swick R (2015)
Role of diet on odour emissions from meat chickens
Proceedings of the Australian Poultry Science Symposium, 26: 189-192

Ruhnke I, Cowling G, Sommerlad M, Swick R, Choct M (2015)
Gut impaction in free-range hens
Proceedings of the Australian Poultry Science Symposium, 26: 242-244

Ruhnke I, Röhe I, Krämer C, Goodarzi Boroojeni F, Knorr F, Mader A, Hafeez A, Löwe R, Zentek J (2015)
Effect of feed particle size, milling method, and heat treatment on performance, apparent ileal digestibility, and pH of the digesta in laying hens
Poultry Science, 94(4):692-699

Hafeez A, Mader A, Ruhnke I, Röhe I, Goodarzi Boroojeni F, Yousaf MS, Männer K, Zentek J (2015)
Implication of milling methods, thermal treatment, and particle size of feed in layers on mineral digestibility and retention of minerals in egg contents
Poultry Science, 94:240-248

Hafeez A, Mader A, Röhe I, Ruhnke I, Goodarzi Boroojeni F, Yousaf MS, Männer K, Zentek J (2015)
The effect of milling methods, thermal treatment, and particle size of feed on exterior and interior egg quality in laying hens
European Journal of Poultry Science, 79: DOI:10.1399/eps.2015.76

Ruhnke I (2014)
Studies on the impact of acidified feed and feed processing on digestive physiology in broiler chickens and laying hens
Mensch und Buch Verlag, ISBN: 978-3-86387-478-0

Röhe I, Ruhnke I, Knorr F, Mader A, Goodarzi Boroojeni F, Löwe R, Zentek J (2014)
Effects of grinding method, particle size, and physical form of the diet on gastrointestinal morphology and jejunal glucose transport in laying hens.
Poultry Science, 93 (8): 2060-2068

Goodarzi Boroojeni F, Vahjen W, Mader A, Knorr F, Ruhnke I, Röhe I, Hafeez A, Villodre C, Männer K, Zentek J (2014)
The effects of different thermal treatments and organic acid levels in feed on microbial composition and activity in gastrointestinal tract of broilers
Poultry Science, 93 (6): 1440-1452

Hafeez A, Mader A, Goodarzi Boroojeni F, Ruhnke I, Röhe I, Männer K, Zentek J (2014)
Impact of thermal and organic acid treatment of feed on apparent ileal mineral absorption, tibial and liver mineral concentration, and tibia quality in broilers
Poultry Science, 93 (7): 1754-1763

Goodarzi Boroojeni F, Mader A, Knorr F, Ruhnke I, Röhe I, Hafeez A, Männer K, Zentek J (2014)
The effects of different thermal treatments and organic acid levels on nutrient digestibility in broilers Poultry Science, 93 (5): 1159-1171
Ruhnke I, DeBiasio JV, Suchodolski JS, Newman SJ, Musch MW, Steiner JM (2014)

Evaluation of endoscopically obtained duodenal biopsy samples from cats and dogs in an adapter-modified Ussing chamber
American Journal of Veterinary Research, 15 (2): 297-307

Spillmann T, Willard MD, Ruhnke I, Suchodolski, JS, Steiner JM (2013)
Feasibility of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in healthy cats
Veterinary Radiology and Ultrasound, 55 (1): 85-91

Ruhnke I, Röhe I, Meyer W, Kröger S, Neumann K, Zentek J (2013)
Method for the preparation of mucosal flaps from jejunum of laying hens for transporter studies in Ussing chambers
Archives of Animal Nutrition, 67 (2): 161-168

Ruhnke I, DeBiasio JV, Suchodolski JS, Newman SJ, Musch MW, Steiner JM (2012)
Adapter-modified Ussing chamber enables evaluation of endoscopically-obtained colonic biopsy samples from cats and dogs
Research in Veterinary Science, 93: 1454-1461

Ruhnke I (2011)
Assessment of an adapter modified Ussing chamber for evaluation of endoscopically obtained duodenal and colonic biopsy samples from cats and dogs
Mensch und Buch Verlag, ISBN: 978-3-86389-013-3

Heilmann RM, Paddock CG, Berghoff N, Ruhnke I, Suchodolksi JS, Steiner JM (2011)
Development and analytical validation of a radioimmunoassay for the measurement of alpha1-proteinase inhibitor concentrations in feces from puppies and healthy adult dogs
Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, 23 (8): 476-485

Ruhnke I, Steiner JM (2010)
Labordiagnostische Verfahren zur Diagnose gastrointestinaler Erkrankungen beim Hund [German]
Kleintierpraxis, 55: 262-277

Memberships

  • The European Society of Veterinary and Comparative Nutrition
  • The Comparative Gastroenterology Society
  • The American Gastroenterological Association
  • German Interest Group Gastroenterology (DFG-Interessensgruppe Gastroenterology)
  • The German Veterinarian Association (Tierärztekammer Deutschland)
  • Society of Friends and Promoters of Veterinary Medicine of the Free University Berlin (Gesellschaft der Freunde und Förderer der Veterinärmedizin an der Freien Universität Berlin e.V.)

Consultancy Interests

  • Consultation services for companion animals and horses.
  • Product development and consultation for the pet food industry.