The Servei de Bioquímica Clínica Veterinària (SBCV) has the following scientific objectives:
A) To establish quantitative and effective biochemical stress indicators, which could be used to evaluate the animal wellness during product processing stages: Evaluation and identification of biochemical markers in serum or in other easily accessible specimens among cattle and wild animals constitute SBCV’s leading subject in research, which it has recently started on. Among our users, there are several research teams working with subjects related to animal stress and wellness. It is in this field of collaboration where we have stablished as our research line the identification, setting up and validation of techniques for determining acute phase’s proteins, steroids in faeces and other kinds of samples (parameters which are thought to be wellness indicators) in several animal species. The SBCV has taken part in the European Project: “Co-ordination, harmonisation and standardisation of measurement of bovine and porcine acute phase protein in blood; reference preparations for animal protein assays”. EU Concerted Action, number QLK5-CT-1999-0153. Main coordinator: Dr. P. D. Eckersall, University of Glasgow. 1999-2003.
B) Setting up and validating new techniques in order to determine biochemical parameters crucial to veterinary medicine, animal production and food security.