Fiona Tansil Position/Title: M.Sc. by thesis email: ftansil@uoguelph.ca Phone: 519 824 4120 ext. 56386 Office: ANNU 232 Google Scholar LinkedIn

Education

BSc (Hons) – Animal Biology; Nutrition and Nutraceutical Sciences (University of Guelph, 2016)

Relevant Work/ Research Experiences

1. Swine Nutritionist, Trouw Nutrition Canada (September 2021 - present) 
2. Aquaculture Feed and Pet Food Formulator/ Nutritionist, Japfa Indonesia (2017 – 2019)

• Developed and formulated feed using BestMix software
• Addressed customer's nutritional problems regarding our products and worked collaboratively with other departments 

2. Undergraduate Student Researcher, Ontario Veterinary College (2015 – 2016)

• Conducted research under Drs. Adronie Verburgghe and Anthony Mutsaers for a 4th year research course
• Presented research results on the effects of vitamin D3 on canine osteosarcoma cells at the ICCI 9^th Cancer Research Symposium

3. Field Research Assistant in Aquaculture Nutrition, University of Guelph (Summer 2015) 

• Conducted field research under Dr. Dominique Bureau as part of the International Aquaculture Feed Formulation Database (IAAFD) project

Current Education

I am currently an MSc-Thesis student in animal nutrition under the supervision of Dr. Anna Kate Shoveller. My passion in animal nutrition started when I took the Pet Nutrition class and participated in a Royal Canin tour early in my undergraduate career. After completing my BSc, I pursued a career as an animal feed formulator at a leading Asian agri-food company, Japfa, in my home country, Indonesia. Through this role, I began to have a keen interest in investigating alternative protein ingredients that have desirable protein quality, sustainable, and economically-feasible, to replace the commonly-used soybean meal and fish meal in the animal feed industry. The quest for alternative protein in feed is of great importance to ensure food security to feed the projected 9 billion people by 2050. Motivated by the urgency for innovative protein ingredients and to further understand the protein quality concept, I decided to pursue a Master’s in this field.  

For my Master’s project, I am evaluating the protein quality of black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM), a highly nutritious and sustainable alternative protein ingredient, by using the ileal digestibility and indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO) techniques in swine. Assessment of protein quality, which technically refers to the amino acid (AA) bioavailability, is essential to successfully introduce a novel protein ingredient into the feed industry. For the ileal digestibility study, pigs were surgically-fitted with a T-cannula for digesta collection and were fed BSFLM-containing diet. The IAAO method measures CO₂ released from pigs as a result of AA oxidation, and has been demonstrated to be accurate in quantifying AA bioavailability. Results from my study will provide a more precise AA bioavailability data on BSFLM, an evaluation of different protein quality methods, and give insights to the feed industries and academic communities.

In the future, I hope to contribute my experience and knowledge to the animal feed industry or pursue further research in the same field. Aside from working in the lab or on my laptop, I enjoy swimming, hiking, and spending time with friends.