A research and diagnostic laboratory specialising in Vitamin D biology research in companion, production and wild animals
Vitamin D Animal Laboratory (VitDAL)
Led by Professor Richard Mellanby, we explore the relationship between vitamin D, inflammation and health outcomes in companion, farm and wild animals.
Research
VitDAL is based in the Roslin Institute and the Queen’s Medical Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh and brings together expertise in clinical veterinary endocrionology and nutrition, proteomics and immunology with the overarching ambition of advancing understanding of vitamin D biology in all species.
Assay Service
The VitDAL have developed an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography – mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) assay to accurately key vitamin D metabolites in serum and plasma.
Latest News
VitDAL MSc student wins European Society of Comparative Gastroenterology award
Many congratulations to Dr Jenny Cartwright who was awarded the European Society of Comparative Gastroenterology Purina GI Health Award for best oral abstract at last week's European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Congress. Jenny recently completed her MSc in...
VitDAL postdoc visits St Kilda Soay Sheep Project
VitDAL postdoc Dr Iris Mair has just returned from visiting St Kilda where she was working with colleagues from the University of Edinburgh and other academic centres on the long running St Kilda Soay Sheep project. The wild, unmanaged Soay sheep have been closely...
VitDAL research presented at Scottish BSAVA
Richard Mellanby was presenting data from the VitDAL at the Scottish BSAVA Conference this week. He gave an overview of recent VitDAL studies on vitamin D homeostasis disorders in companion animals before talking about the lab's ongoing research exploring the...