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Long term human space missions require efficient strategies to sustain crew health and safety. This is why we need to develop improved spaceflight-suitable methods for microbiological monitoring and contamination control. Especially microbial biofilms are of concern in spaceflight because they can damage equipment by polymer deterioration, corrode metal and cause bio-fouling. Furthermore, biofilms can harbor pathogenic microorganisms that can cause infections which is unwanted, especially since it is known that the immune system of astronauts is impaired during spaceflight. Antimicrobial surfaces reduce the ability of microorganisms to form biofilms and can therefore be helpful in sustaining spaceship integrity as well as the astronaut’s health. Metals such as silver, copper and their alloy are known to have antimicrobial properties. The introduction of antimicrobial surfaces for medical, pharmaceutical and industrial purposes has already shown a unique potential for reducing and preventing microbial contamination. However, their efficiency within the spaceflight context still has to be investigated in further detail: The European Space Agency (ESA) selected project BIOFILMS (No. ILSRA-2014-054) will test the effect of tailor-made nanostructured copper-based surfaces on bacterial biofilm in an experiment aboard the International Space Station (ISS). BIOFILMS is an acronym that stands for “Biofilm Inhibition on Flight equipment and on board the ISS using microbiologically Lethal Metal Surfaces". In the project, three spaceflight relevant bacterial species will be tested: Acinetobacter radioresistens, Cupriavidus metallidurans and Staphylococcus capitis. Steel is going to be used as a refence surface for biofilm formation and the antimicrobial surfaces are copper-based. They differ in their antimicrobial activity based on chemical composition and/or geometric nanostructures. The innovative approach is that the surfaces are patterned in a process called Direct Laser Interference Patterning (DLIP) using ultra-short pulses (USP). The surfaces will be evaluated for biofilm formation rates under different spaceflight relevant gravitational regimes (Mars, ISS and Earth control) and bacterial growth will occur under optimal biofilm-inducing conditions in the KUBIK incubator inside ESA’s Columbus laboratory. Preflight experiments, performed on ground (1g), showed that the BIOFILMS hardware is biocompatible and allows biofilm formation of all three bacterial species on the reference steel surfaces. The use of pure copper and brass surfaces inside the hardware significantly reduced bacterial growth and biofilm formation. In our preliminary experiments, the DLIP nanostructured copper surfaces were more effective than the smooth surfaces. The obtained results from the BIOFILMS experiment will be of immense importance for understanding the influence of gravity on biofilm formation and on the effectivity of USP-DLIP antimicrobial copper surfaces. Furthermore, the evaluation of different antimicrobial materials in microgravity is relevant for present and future astronaut-/robotic-associated activities in space exploration. Here, an overview on the ongoing and upcoming activities of the ISS spaceflight experiment BIOFILMS is presented.

Feed efficiency in rabbit production: Nutritional, technico-economical and environmental aspects. 11. World Rabbit Congress

Rabbit farming is a small-scale industry that does not have a major national or international representative organisation in most of the EU countries. Over 76% of the total production in the EU is in Italy, Spain and France, and home production is still widespread. The production of jointed and processed products is increasing rapidly compared with whole carcase sales and rabbit meat consumption, although less than other meats, is still significant in some countries. In the Report are chapters on the behaviour and biology of rabbits (3), statistics of rabbit production (4), and current farming systems (5). There follow chapters on aspects of farming that may affect their health and welfare: the housing and husbandry of rabbits and space allowances and quality of that space (6); nutritional aspects (7); reproductive (8) and weaning practices (9); genetic issues (10); and finally health issues and biosecurity (11).

In several areas with a high density of animal production, manure is no longer exclusively considered as a fertiliser. In order to limit the production or a more environmental friendly use, efforts are done to reduce the mineral excretion. In such a context, both from governmental side as for the producer a reliable calculation of the on farm production is useful. Based on the input (feed) output (produced rabbits, dead rabbits) balance, the nitrogen and phosphorus farm excretion is calculated for different production systems. For a closed farm (breeding + fattening) the most convenient expression of mineral excretion is per female on average present in the farm. The excretion amounts 7.56 kg N and 4.72 kg P2O5 per doe/year in a commercial rabbit farm based on an average production/doe of 45 fatteners of 2.5 kg. In an exclusively fattening unit (between 0.8 and 2.5 kg weight and a feed conversion ratio of 3.25), the excretion amounts 88 g N and 60 g P2O5, per produced rabbit.

International audience; Due to the role of soluble fibre (SF) on the digestive physiology and gut health of post-weaning rabbits and to the lack of reference methods for SF determination, in the framework of the harmonization activity on rabbit science methodologies carried out by EGRAN (European Group on Rabbit Nutrition), a collaborative study was achieved on the determination of total dietary fibre (TDF), aNDF corrected for protein and ash (aNDFcorr) and SF calculated as the difference between TDF and aNDFcorr. Five EGRAN laboratories analysed nine samples: four compound diets and five raw materials (alfalfa meal, wheat bran, grape marc, sunflower meal, sugarbeet pulp) with different levels of fibre fractions and SF. Each sample was analysed 3 runs for TDF and aNDFcorr. TDF was analysed according to the AOAC Method 991.43 using the kit and the procedure of Megazyme®. TDF averaged 48.2% DM, with one laboratory having higher values (49.3% vs 47.9%; P

[EN] The aim of the present study was to determine the intra- and inter-laboratory variability of an enzymatic system of in vitro analysis for estimating dry matter (DM) digestibility in rabbits and validating the predicted nutritive value of 4 complete diets and 4 raw materials during three different periods of time. Chemical composition, DM digestibility and digestible energy (diets only) were known. In vitro DM digestibility (DMdinv) of all samples was determined by 4 laboratories (triplicate analysis) at different times with an interval of one month between analyses. DMdinv variability and chemical parameters were measured in terms of repeatability (SR: intra-series variability within each laboratory), reproducibility (SL: intra-series variability among laboratories) and reliability (SF: variability through time within each laboratory). Both the laboratory and sample affected DMdinv values (P, This research was supported by ERAFE project CE-FAIR (3-CT96-1651)

[EN] This paper describes a standardized method for in vivo determination of total digestibility in rabbits. This method was working out within the European Group on Rabbit Nutrition (EGRAN) which involves six laboratories from five countries (Belgium, France, ltaly, Portugal and Spain). The aim of the group was to propose a method at once reliable, quick and- simple. This new rnethod can be regarded as a baseline for calibrating individual laboratory procedures. The method is based on 7 to 8 weeks old rabbits caged individually and fed ad libitum. The pre-experimental period lasts 7 days and the collection period only 4 days. For either feed and faeces, standardized conditions of sampling and drying are described., [FR] Ce texte a pour objet de décrire une méthode standardisée de mesure de la digestibilité totale des aliments chez le lapin. Cette méthode a éfé élaborée en commun au sein du Groupe Européen de Nutrition Cunicole (EGRAN) qui rassemb/e six laboratoires appartenant a cinq pays (13elgique, Espagne, France, ltalie et Portugal). Cette nouvelle méthode a été con~ue pour etre a la fois précise, rapide, et reproductible. Facilement applicable a /'ensemble des laboratoires, elle peut désormais servir de référence dans le secteur cunicole. Cette méthode utilise des lapins de 7 a 8 semaines logés en cages individue/les et nourris a volonté. La durée de la période préexpérimentale est de 7 jours et ce/le de la période de récolte de 4 jours seulement. Les conditions standardisées d'échantillonnage et de séchage sont décrites pour l'aliment et les faeces.