Theo Demmers
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Theo is a project leader within the Centre for Animal Welfare. His current research focuses on responses of animals to changes in their environment as well as associated environmental processes.
Biography
Theo graduated from Wageningen University, the Netherlands in 1987 and obtained a PhD on “Ventilation of livestock buildings and ammonia emissions” from Nottingham University in 1997.
He has previously worked at the Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Wageningen, the Netherlands (1987-1993) and at Silsoe Research Institute (1993 – 2005). He joined the RVC in 2005 when the animal welfare group moved from SRI.
Research
Theo has a broad interest in the area where environmental conditions and animal welfare and animal production overlap. He specialised in the measurement and control of gaseous and particulate emissions as well as the control of animal environments. He is currently working on aspects of precision livestock farming to measure, model and control responses of pigs and poultry to changes in biological and environmental parameters.
He is a member of a large EU consortium working in the area of precision livestock farming, which currently is training 11 early stage researchers in a Marie Curie fellowship initial training network. Each fellow will be trained on topics spanning the field between veterinary biology and engineering.
He has lead a large consortium quantifying and characterising particulate emissions from poultry houses in a 3 year project for Defra.
Clinical
Remote sensing of physiological parameters. Developing non-invasive monitoring systems for detecting disease, based on indicators such as gaseous components and/or behavioural changes).
Selected Publications
GREEN, A. R., WATHES, C. M., DEMMERS, T. G., CLARK, J. M. & XIN, H. (2008) Development and application of a novel environmental preference chamber for assessing responses of laboratory mice to atmospheric ammonia. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci 47, 49-56. PubMed ID 18351722
MCKEEGAN, D. E., ABEYESINGHE, S. M., MCLEMAN, M. A., LOWE, J. C., DEMMERS, T. G., WHITE, R. P., KRANEN, R. W., VAN BEMMEL, H., LANKHAAR, J. A. & WATHES, C. M. (2007) Controlled atmosphere stunning of broiler chickens. II. Effects on behaviour, physiology and meat quality in a commercial processing plant. Br Poult Sci 48, 430-442. PubMed ID 17701496
ABEYESINGHE, S. M., MCKEEGAN, D. E., MCLEMAN, M. A., LOWE, J. C., DEMMERS, T. G., WHITE, R. P., KRANEN, R. W., VAN BEMMEL, H., LANKHAAR, J. A. & WATHES, C. M. (2007) Controlled atmosphere stunning of broiler chickens. I. Effects on behaviour, physiology and meat quality in a pilot scale system at a processing plant. Br Poult Sci 48, 406-423. PubMed ID 17701494
MCKEEGAN, D. E., SMITH, F. S., DEMMERS, T. G., WATHES, C. M. & JONES, R. B. (2005) Behavioral correlates of olfactory and trigeminal gaseous stimulation in chickens, Gallus domesticus. Physiol Behav 84, 761-768. PubMed ID 15885253
WELCH, D.C., COLLS, J.J., DEMMERS, T.G.M. and WATHES, C.M. (2005) A methodology for the measurement of distributed agricultural sources of ammonia outdoors. Part 2: Field validation and farm measurements. Atmospheric Environment, 39, 673-684
WELCH, D.C., COLLS, J.J., DEMMERS, T.G.M. and WATHES, C.M. (2005) A methodology for the measurement of distributed agricultural sources of ammonia outdoors. Part 1: Validation in a controlled environment. Atmospheric Environment, 39, 663-672.
DONE, S. H., CHENNELLS, D. J., GRESHAM, A. C., WILLIAMSON, S., HUNT, B., TAYLOR, L. L., BLAND, V., JONES, P., ARMSTRONG, D., WHITE, R. P., DEMMERS, T. G., TEER, N. & WATHES, C. M. (2005) Clinical and pathological responses of weaned pigs to atmospheric ammonia and dust. Vet Rec 157, 71-80. PubMed ID 16024672
WATHES, C.M., DEMMERS, T.G.M., TEER, N., WHITE, R.P., TAYLOR, L.L., BLAND, V., JONES, P., ARMSTRONG, D., GRESHAM, A.C.J., HARTUNG, J., CHENNELLS, D. and DONE, S.H. (2003) Production responses of weaned pigs after chronic exposure to airborne dust and ammonia. Animal Science, 78, 87-97.
DONE, S.H.,., HICKS, D., TERRY, L., GRESHAM, A.C.J., WILLIAMSON, S., CHENNELLS, D., TAYLOR, L.L., ARMSTRONG, D., DEMMERS, T.G.M., WHITE, R.P., and WATHES, C.M., (2002) The evolution of porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome (PDNS) and post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) on one unit. The Pig Journal, 49, 184-201.
MCKEEGAN, D. E., DEMMERS, T. G., WATHES, C. M., JONES, R. B. & GENTLE, M. J. (2002) Stimulus-response functions of single avian olfactory bulb neurones. Brain Res 953, 101-111. PubMed ID 12384243
MCKEEGAN, D. E., DEMMERS, T. G., WATHES, C. M., JONES, R. B. & GENTLE, M. J. (2002) Response characteristics of nasal trigeminal nociceptors in Gallus domesticus. Neuroreport 13, 1033-1035. PubMed ID 12060803
DEMMERS, T.G.M., WATHES, C.M., RICHARDS, P., TEER, N., TAYLOR, L.L., BLAND, V., GOODMAN, J., ARMSTRONG, D., CHENNELLS, D., DONE, S.H., and HARTUNG, J. (2003) A Facility for controlled exposure of pigs to airborne dusts and gases. Biosystems Engineering, 84 (2), 217-230.
ROBERTSON, A.P., HOXEY, R.P., DEMMERS, T.G.M., WELCH, S.K., SNEATH, R.W., STACEY, K.F., FOTHERGILL, A., FILMER, D. and FISHER, C. (2002) Commercial studies of the effect of broiler protein intake on aerial pollutant emissions. Biosystems Engineering, 82 (2), 217-225.
PEDERSEN, S., NONNENMANN, M., RAUTIAINEN, R., DEMMERS, T. G., BANHAZI, T. & LYNGBYE, M. (2000) Dust in pig buildings. J Agric Saf Health 6, 261-274. PubMed ID 11217691
KRISTENSEN, H. H., BURGESS, L. R., DEMMERS, T. G. & WATHES, C. M. (2000) The preferences of laying hens for different concentrations of atmospheric ammonia. Appl Anim Behav Sci 68, 307-318. PubMed ID 10844155
PHILLIPS, V.R., COWELL, D.A., SNEATH, R.W, CUMBY, T.R., WILLIAMS, A.G., DEMMERS, T.G.M. and SANDARS, D.L. (1999) An assessment of ways to abate ammonia emissions from UK livestock buildings and waste stores. Part 1: ranking exercise. Bioresource Technology, 70, 143-155.
MISSELBROOK, T.H., van der WEERDEN, T.J., PAIN, B.F., JARVIS, S.C., CHAMBERS, B.J., SMITH, K.A., PHILLIPS, V.R. and DEMMERS, T.G.M. (2000) Ammonia emission factors for UK agriculture. Atmospheric Environment, 34, 871-880.
DEMMERS, T.G.M., PHILLIPS, V.R., SHORT, L.S., BURGESS, L.R., HOXEY, R.P. and WATHES, C.M. (2001) Validation of ventilation rate measurement methods and the ammonia emission from naturally ventilated dairy and beef buildings in the United Kingdom. Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research, 79,107-116.
DEMMERS, T.G.M., BURGESS, L.R., PHILLIPS, V.R., CLARK, J.A. and WATHES, C.M. (2000) Assessment of techniques for measuring the ventilation rate, using an experimental building section. Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research, 76, 71-81.
DEMMERS, T.G.M., BURGESS, L.R., SHORT, J.L., PHILLIPS, V.R., CLARK, J.A. and WATHES, C.M. (1999) Ammonia emissions from two mechanically ventilated UK livestock buildings. Atmospheric Environment, 33, 217-227.
DEMMERS, T.G.M., BURGESS, L.R., SHORT, J.L., PHILLIPS, V.R., CLARK, J.A. and WATHES, C.M. (1998) First experiences with methods to measure ammonia emissions from naturally ventilated cattle buildings in the UK. Atmospheric Environment, 32 (3), 285-293.