Dr Natalie Morgan
Senior Lecturer Animal Science - School of Environmental and Rural Science
Biography
Natalie joined UNE in September 2015 as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow. Her main area of interest is poultry nutrition, particularly feed enzymes and carbohydrate chemistry. Her current research focuses on non-starch polysaccharides, enzymes and the effects of xylo-oligomers as prebiotics in broiler chicken and laying hen diets. She teaches animal nutrition and poultry production.
Qualifications
- BSc (Hons) Animal Biology (2010)
- PhD (2014) Nottingham Trent University, UK
Awards
2021 Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
2020 UNE 3rs Award
2018 Dean’s Award for Early Career Research Excellence
Teaching Areas
Animal Nutrition, Poultry Production, Animal Biosecurity
Primary Research Area/s
Poultry Nutrition; Carbohydrate Chemistry; Feed EnzymesResearch Interests
- Impact of dietary fibre on poultry health and perofmance
- Assessing factors that cause variation in feed ingredients used in poultry diets, particularly focussuing on non-starch polysaccharides and phytate
- The use of xylanases to produce xylo-oligomers and the effects of xylo-oligomers on gut microflora and performance in broiler chickens
- Alternative feed ingredients for use in poultry feed formulations
- The influence of gastrointestinal pH on nutrient bioavailability and the intestinal microbiota in poultry
- Evaluating phytate and xylan ‘susceptibility’ to the effects of enzymes and assessing factors that influence reactivity and enzyme efficacy
- Developing in vitro models to determine digestibility of poultry diets
Research Supervision Experience
Principal Supervisor PhD Students (1 completion) and Masters students (4 completions)
Co-supervisor (9 completions)
Publications
Morgan, N., Bhuiyan, M.M, Nguyen, T.N.A, Middlebrook, T. and Hopcroft, R. 2021. Dietary soluble non-starch polysaccharide level and composition influences grower and finisher phase performance, excreta moisture content and total tract nutrient digestibility in broilers. British Poultry Science, 62: 759-770.
Morgan, N.K., Gomes, G.A. and Kim, J.C. 2021. Comparing the efficacy of stimbiotic and a combination of xylanase and beta-glucanase, in broilers fed wheat-barley based diets with high or low AME. 100(10): 101383.
Morgan, N.K,, Wallace, A., Bedford, M.R., Hawking, K., Rodrigues, I., Hulliar, M. and Choct, M. 2019. In vitro versus in situ evaluation of xylan hydrolysis into xylo-oligosaccharides in broiler chicken gastrointestinal tract. Carbohydrate Polymers. 230: 1-7.
Morgan, N.K., Keerqin, C., Wu, S.B. and Choct, M. 2018. Effect of arabinoxylans and xylo-oligosaccharides on net energy and nutrient utilization in broilers. Animal Nutrition. 5(1): 56-62.
Morgan, N.K., Wallace, A., Bedford, M.R., Choct, M. 2017. Efficiency of xylanases from family 10 and family 11 in production of xylo-oligosaccharides from wheat arabinoxylans. Carbohydrate Polymers: 167: 290-296.
Morgan, N.K. Managing gut health without reliance on antimicrobials in poultry. 2017. Animal Production Science. 57(11): 2270-2279.
Morgan, N.K. and Choct, M. 2016. Cassava: Nutrient composition and nutritive value in poultry diets. Animal Nutrition. 2(4): 253-261.
Memberships
Associate Editor Animal Nutrition
Secretary World's Poultry Science Association New England Branch
Adjunct Research Fellow Nottingham Trent University, UK
Consultancy Interests
Improving poultry feed formulations, feed additives and enzymes in poultry diets, prebiotics in poultry