Animal Breeding and Experimental Studies
The Animal Breeding and Experimental Research Unit provides technical support for activities related to basic and applied scientific research, implementing experimental procedures based on the 3Rs principles: Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement. The Unit collaborates with public and private institutional partners involved in both medical and veterinary research. Animal welfare principles guide all activities within the Unit, which offers its expertise to support research projects and contribute to the activities of the IZS Teramo Centres of Excellence, specifically the EU Reference Centre for the Welfare of Ruminants and Equines and the WOAH Collaborating Centre for Animal Welfare.
The Unit manages the IZS Teramo facilities used for housing farm and laboratory animals, ensuring that research activities comply with international standards and regulations. The Unit prioritizes both animal welfare and biosafety in scientific experiments, aiming to combine high-quality research with ethical and welfare-focused practices in the use and care of experimental animals. To protect animals used for scientific purposes, the Institute has established an Animal Welfare Body (OPBA), in accordance with Directive 2010/63/EU and Legislative Decree No. 26/2014. The animal housing facilities have been authorized by the Italian Ministry of Health under code 944F0, while the Marine Ecosystem Research Centre in Termoli operates an authorized aquatic animal housing facility for scientific purposes.
The technical staff involved in animal research are trained, skilled, and certified to ensure appropriate care and protection for the animals involved. Within the Unit, there is also a dedicated Operational Unit responsible for the production and distribution of identification systems for animals of zootechnical interest. The Unit's experts actively contribute to IZS Teramo's research in various fields, with special emphasis on animal welfare. They hold key positions in research projects within the European Partnership for Animal Health and Welfare (EUPAHW/EU-Horizon) and EFSA initiatives, while providing technical expertise to the IZS Teramo Centres of Excellence for Animal Welfare, including the WOAH Multinational Collaborating Centre for Animal Welfare and the EU Reference Centre for the Welfare of Ruminants and Equines (EURCAW-RE).
- + - Head
-
Luigi Iannetti
Head
He graduated with distinction in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Naples “Federico II” in 1999. He went on to complete a PhD in Clinical and Veterinary Pharmacological-Toxicological Sciences and earned two postgraduate specialisations: Inspection of Food of Animal Origin and Reproductive Pathophysiology in Animals.
He graduated with distinction in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Naples “Federico II” in 1999. He went on to complete a PhD in Clinical and Veterinary Pharmacological-Toxicological Sciences and earned two postgraduate specialisations: Inspection of Food of Animal Origin and Reproductive Pathophysiology in Animals.
He has been working at IZS Teramo since 2007 and was appointed Veterinary Officer in 2017. His work has long been connected to the activities of both the Food Hygiene and Technology Unit, particularly at the National Reference Laboratory for Listeria monocytogenes, and the Animal Welfare Unit, especially at the WOAH Multinational Collaboration Centre for Animal Welfare, where he currently serves as Chair and Steering Committee Member.
His professional activities include providing scientific and technical support to Competent Authorities, designing monitoring plans, and managing research projects. He serves as a technical expert for the Italian Ministry of Health in the DG-SANTE working group on microbiological criteria, and has also participated in the ECDC's European Listeria Typing Exercise (ELiTE).
He has contributed to the design of shelf-life studies and predictive models of bacterial growth in food, also serving as Principal Investigator in EU-funded research projects such as Listeriapredict and NOVA.
Since 2024, he has been Head of the Animal Breeding and Experimental Research Unit, where he oversees the management of animals housed at the IZS Teramo animal facilities and supervises activities related to animal experimentation.
His current research focuses on the effects of stress on the microbiological contamination of meat.
He has taken part in numerous training initiatives, both nationally and internationally, particularly in EU- and WOAH-funded twinning projects on food safety and animal welfare (including missions in North Macedonia, South Africa, and Tunisia).
He coordinated the animal welfare working group within the ERFAN project (Enhancing Research For Africa Network) and currently serves as a technical expert for the European Union Reference Centre for the Welfare of Ruminants and Equines. He is also involved—sometimes as task leader—in four animal welfare projects under the EU-Horizon programme, within the European Partnership for Animal Health and Welfare.
He is the author of more than 50 publications in international scientific journals and has an H-index of 13.
-
- + - Selected papers
-
Titolo 1
Autori 1
Titolo 2
Autori 2
Titolo 3
Autori 3
Titolo 4
Autori 4