As Louis Pasteur once said, “Chance favors the prepared mind.” That’s how it happened for Dr. Jason Shih, former Professor in the NC State University Department of Poultry Science  and co-founder – with his son Dr. Giles Shih – of BRI.

 

Where it all began

Professor Shih was developing a thermophillic poultry waste digester to generate power as part of his research on poultry waste management, when he noticed that the poultry feathers mixed in with other waste disappeared in the course of operation.

Dr. Shih’s curiosity and insightfulness resulted in the identification of a novel enzyme responsible for breaking down poultry feather protein. Further research proved that the enzyme could also improve digestibility of proteins in animal feed such that the nutrients could be better absorbed by the animal.

 

The powerful results

In 2001, a unique formulation of the enzyme discovered by Dr. Shih – now called Versazyme – was tested as a feed additive for improving the growth of broilers, chickens that are bred for meat production.

The study found that broilers fed a low protein diet supplemented with the enzyme grew as large as birds fed a standard diet.

After several follow-up experiments, it was concluded that adding Versazyme to a broiler’s diet could improve the body weight gain by approximately 100 grams (3.5 ounces) per chicken at the market age (42 days). Alternatively, it could allow producers to reduce dietary protein levels by about 10% without negative effects on growth.

Funded initially by grants from the USDA and NC Biotechnology Center, as well as private investment, BRI continues Dr. Shih’s original research, making improvements to current product liines and developing additional new product lines.

 

BRI’s products today

BRI’s main products, Versazyme and Valkerase, promote sustainability worldwide by increasing the digestibility of animal diets, reducing waste and lowering the costs associated with animal production. Currently distributed by Novus International, Inc. under the trade names Cibenza™ DP100 and IND900, BRI’s products are helping farmers in the Americas as well as throughout Asia and the Middle East lower input costs and decrease waste.

 

  

 

Explains Giles Shih, Ph.D., now serving his 12th year leading the BRI team: “It is very rewarding to be part of a team that has turned a laboratory insight into a product that provides real value for producers worldwide.”

Moving forward, BRI plans to expand on this discovery and enhance current products, introduce new products and develop other technologies that promote economic and environmental sustainability.

Read the “Ah-hah!” interview with Dr. Jason Shih
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