Ph.D., Nutrition,
University of California, Davis.
December
1992. Dissertation: Nutritional
perturbation of milk protein
content in
the lactating dairy cow.
Advisors: Dr. E.J. DePeters and
Dr. R.L.
Baldwin.
M.S.,
Animal
Science, University of
California, Davis. June 1990.
Advisor:
Dr. E.J. DePeters
B.Sc.(Agr.),
Animal
Science, Nova Scotia
Agricultural College, Truro. May
1986.
Thesis: Effect of alfalfa meal
and virginiamycin on mineral
assimilation and retention in
the growing pig. Advisor: Dr.
D.M.
Anderson
Employment
Professor,
Dept.
Animal
and Poultry Science, University of
Guelph, 7/08 - present
Associate Professor,
Dept.
Animal and Poultry Science,
University of Guelph, 7/02 - 6/08
Assistant
Professor,
Dept. Animal and Poultry Science,
University of Guelph, 5/96
- 6/02
Post-doctoral
Researcher,
Dept. Animal and Poultry Science,
University of Guelph,
6/93 - 4/96
Research
Associate,
Dept. Animal Science, Nova Scotia
Agricultural College. 1/92
- 5/93
Teaching
ANSC*4470
Animal
Metabolism W(3-0)
[0.50]
A study of how regulation of the
main pathways of carbohydrate,
lipid
and amino acid metabolism in
gut, liver, muscle, adipose and
mammary
glands is coordinated so that
farm animals may grow and
lactate under a
wide range of environmental
influences. Undergraduate
calendar
description Course
Profile
ANSC*6030
Modeling
Metabolic Processes F
[0.50]
Hands-on building and testing of
dynamic, mathematical models of
metabolic systems using
continuous simulation software.
In addition, we
will examine published models
considering phenomena such as
distribution in space and chaos.
The orientation of models
selected for
study is towards an improvement
in understanding of biological
systems
currently being studied by
experimentation. Graduate
calendar
description Course
Profile
ANSC*6460
Lactation
Biology F [0.50]
An in-depth systems analysis of
lactation, comparing the cow,
pig, rat,
human and seal. Mammary anatomy
and development from conception
through
to lactogenesis, lactation and
involution will be covered.
Hypotheses
of hormonal and nutritional
regulation of the biochemical
pathways of
milk synthesis will be tested in
relation to experimental
observations.
Current areas of research
activity are presented by
discussion of
cutting-edge and classic
publications. Each week consists
of 2 lectures
and 1 session for discussion of
a scientific paper, including
history
of the research topic and
methodology. Graduate
calendar
description Course
Profile
Research Interests
I am a
ruminant
nutritionist with a special interest in
explanation of the manufacture
of organic milk components in the mammary
glands of a cow. It is known
that protein, fat and lactose in milk are
synthesized from compounds
taken out of blood by the mammary glands,
but there are many
opportunities for mammary tissue to regulate
intracellular metabolism
and metabolite uptake from blood to
manipulate its own milk secretions.
For example, the numbers of glucose
transporters in the plasma and
Golgi membranes are likely controlled in
response to nutritional or
hormonal stimuli. The mass of
protein-synthetic machinery in mammary
tissue definitely affects its ability to
produce milk protein under
differing physiological states. Of course,
my brain is weak so the
complexity of the interrelated metabolic
pathways of milk synthesis can
only be understood with mathematical models
of the mammary system. I am
intrigued by new and innovative ways to
describe this system with math.
I enjoy watching the development of concepts
of metabolic regulation in
mammary tissue arise from mathematical
analysis. A concise set of
equations can be a beautiful work of art.
Although most of my research is directed
specifically towards mammary
metabolism, the rest of the cow is important
in manipulating the
concentrations of milk precursors in blood
and sending signals to the
mammary glands about what is happening
elsewhere. For example, the gut
is a fascinating tissue which may have some
direct links to the mammary
glands. So I am also eager to study a tissue
like the gut, or at least
follow the work others are doing.
The philosophy that allows me to describe a
cow with math may be
applied to a whole farm, an ecosystem with
interacting, fundamental
elements like animals, soil, crops,
microbes, insects and human
interveners. With a computer model of a
whole, mixed farm, efficient
food production systems may be
Miranda, S.G., N.G. Purdie, V.R. Osborne, B.L. Coomber, and
J.P. Cant.
2011. Selenomethionine increases
proliferation and reduces apoptosis
in bovine
mammary epithelial cells under
oxidative stress. J. Dairy Sci.
94(1):165-173.
Columbus, D., J.P. Cant, and C.F.M. de Lange. 2010.
Estimating
fermentative amino acid losses in
the upper gut of pigs. Livest. Sci.
133(1-3):124-127.
Burgos, S.A., and J.P. Cant. 2010. IGF-I stimulates protein
synthesis by
enhanced signaling through mTORC1 in
bovine mammary epithelial cells.
Dom.
Anim. Endocrinol. 38(4):211-221.
Connors, M.T., D.P. Poppi, and J.P. Cant. 2010. Chronic
improvement of
amino acid nutrition stimulates
initiation of global messenger
ribonucleic acid
translation in tissues of sheep
without affecting protein
elongation. J. Anim.
Sci. 88(2):689-696.
Toerien, C.A., D.R. Trout, and J.P. Cant. 2010. Nutritional
stimulation
of milk protein yield of cows is
associated with changes in
phosphorylation of
mammary eukaryotic initiation factor
2 and ribosomal S6 kinase 1. J.
Nutr.
140(2):285-292.
Burgos, S.A., M. Dai, and J.P. Cant. 2010. Nutrient
availability and
lactogenic hormones regulate mammary
protein synthesis through the
mammalian
target of rapamycin signaling
pathway. J. Dairy Sci.
93(1):153-161.
Volpe, V., J.P. Cant, R.C. Boston, P. Susmel, and P. Moate.
2010.
Development of a dynamic
mathematical model for investigating
mammary gland
metabolism in lactating cows. J.
Agric. Sci. 148(1):31-54.
El-Haroun, E.R., D.P. Bureau, and J.P. Cant. 2010. A
mechanistic model of
nutritional control of protein
synthesis in animal tissues. J.
Theor. Biol.
262(2):361-369.
Sippel, M.A., R.S. Spratt, and J.P. Cant. 2009. Milk
production
responses of primiparous and
multiparous dairy cows to dose of
conjugated
linoleic acid consumed in rumen
inert form. Can. J. Anim. Sci.
89(3):393-399.
Greenwood, S.L., T.C. Wright, N.G. Purdie, J. Doelman, J.P.
Cant, and
B.W. McBride. 2009. Lactation
induces upregulation of the
ubiquitin-mediated
proteolytic pathway in skeletal
muscle of dairy cows but does not
alter hepatic
expression. Can. J. Anim. Sci.
89(3):309-313.
Libao-Mercado, A.J., C.L. Zhu, J.P. Cant, H. Lapierre, J.-N.
Thibault,
B. Sève, M.F. Fuller, and
C.F.M. de Lange. 2009. Dietary and
endogenous amino
acids are the main contributors to
microbial protein in the upper gut
of
normally nourished pigs. J. Nutr.
139(6):1088-1094.
Miranda, S.G., Y.J. Wang, N.G. Purdie, V.R. Osborne, B.L.
Coomber, and
J.P. Cant. 2009. Selenomethionine
stimulates expression of glutathione
peroxidase 1 and 3 and growth of
bovine mammary epithelial cells in
primary
culture. J. Dairy Sci.
92(6):2670-2683.
Benschop, D.L. and J.P. Cant. 2009. Developmental changes in
clearance
of intravenous doses of glucose,
acetate and β-hydroxybutyrate from
plasma of
calves. Livest. Sci. 122(2):177-185.
Osborne, V.R., N.E. Odongo, K.C. Swanson, J.P. Cant, and
B.W. McBride.
2009. Effects of supplementing
glycerol and soybean oil in drinking
water on
feed and water intake, energy
balance, and production performance
of
periparturient dairy cows. J. Dairy
Sci. 92(2):698-707.
Purdie, N.G., D.R. Trout, S.R.L. Cieslar, T.G. Madsen, D.P.
Poppi, and
J.P. Cant. 2009. The effect of
short-term hyperammonemia on milk
synthesis in
dairy cows. J. Dairy Res.
76(1):49-58.
Doelman,
J.,
N.G. Purdie, V.R. Osborne, and J.P.
Cant. 2008. Short
communication: The
effects of histidine-supplemented
drinking water on the performance of
lactating dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci.
91(10):3998-4001.
Connors,
M.T.,
D.P.
Poppi, and J.P. Cant. 2008. Protein
elongation rates in tissues of
growing and
adult sheep. J. Anim. Sci.
86(9):2288-2295.
Madsen,
T.G.,
D.R.
Trout, S.R.L. Cieslar, N.G. Purdie,
M.O. Nielsen, and J.P. Cant. 2008.
The
histamine H-1 receptor is not
involved in local control of mammary
blood flow
in dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci.
91(6):2461-2468.
Wright,
T.C.,
J.P.
Cant, and B.W. McBride. 2008. Use of
metabolic control analysis in
lactation
biology. J. Agric. Sci.
146(3):267-273.
Purdie,
N.G.,
D.R.
Trout, D.P. Poppi, and J.P. Cant.
2008. Milk synthetic response of the
bovine
mammary gland to an increase in the
local concentration of amino acids
and
acetate. J. Dairy Sci.
91(1):218-228.
Toerien,
C.A.
and
J.P. Cant. 2007. Duration of a
severe feed restriction required to
reversibly
decrease milk production in the
high-producing dairy cow. Can. J.
Anim.
Sci.
87(3):455-458.
Thomas,
L.C.,
T.C.
Wright, A. Formusiak, J.P. Cant, and
V.R. Osborne. 2007. Use of
flavored
drinking water in calves and
lactating dairy cattle. J. Dairy
Sci.
90(8):3831-3837.
Toerien,
C.A.,
and
J.P. Cant. 2007. Abundance and
phosphorylation state of translation
initiation
factors in mammary glands of
lactating and non-lactating dairy
cows. J.
Dairy
Sci. 90(6):2726-2734.
Fathi
Nasri,
M.H., M. Danesh Mesgaran, J.
France, J. P. Cant, and E. Kebreab.
2006. Evaluation of models to
describe
ruminal degradation kinetics from in
situ ruminal incubation of whole
soybeans.
J. Dairy Sci. 89(8):3087-3095
Wright,
T.C.,
J.P. Cant, J.T. Brenna, and B.W.
McBride. 2006. Acetyl coA
carboxylase shares metabolic control
of de
novo fatty
acid synthesis with fatty acid
synthase in bovine mammary
homogenate.
J. Dairy
Sci. 89(7):2552-2558.
Weekes,
T.L.,
P.H. Luimes,
and J.P. Cant. 2006. Responses to
amino acid
imbalances and deficiencies in
lactating dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci.
89(6):2177-2187.
Ellis,
J.L.
F. Qiao,
and J.P. Cant. 2006. Prediction of
dry matter intake throughout
lactation in a
dynamic model of dairy cow
performance. J. Dairy Sci.
89(5):1558-1570.
Ellis,
J.L.,
F. Qiao,
and J.P. Cant. 2006. Evaluation of
net energy expenditures of dairy
cows
according to bodyweight changes over
a full lactation. J. Dairy Sci.
89(5):1546-1557.
Rustomo,
B.,
O.
AlZahal, J. P. Cant, M. Z. Fan, T.
F. Duffield, N. E. Odongo and B. W.
McBride.
2006. Acidogenic value of feeds. II.
Effects of rumen acid load from
feeds on
dry matter intake, ruminal pH, fibre
degradability and milk production
in the
lactating dairy cow. Can. J. Anim.
Sci. 86(1):119-126.
Rustomo,
B.,
J. P.
Cant, M. Z. Fan, T. F. Duffield, N.
E. Odongo, and B. W. McBride. 2006.
Acidogenic value of feeds. I. The
relationship between the acidogenic
value of
feeds and in vitro ruminal pH
changes. Can. J. Anim. Sci.
86(1):109-117.
Hua,
K., J.P. Cant,
and D.P. Bureau. 2006. Dynamic
simulation of phosphorus utilization
in
salmonid
fish. in:
E. Kebreab, J. Dijkstra, A. Bannink,
W.J.J. Gerrits and J. France (eds.)
Nutrient Digestion and Utilization
in Farm Animals: Modelling
Approaches. CABI Publishing,
Wallingford, UK. pp.
180-191.
Cant,
J.P., V.N.
Walsh, and R.J. Geor. 2006. Obtaining
information
on
gastric emptying patterns in horses
from appearance of an oral
acetaminophen
dose in blood plasma. in:
E.
Kebreab, J. Dijkstra, A. Bannink,
W.J.J. Gerrits and J. France (eds.)
Nutrient Digestion and Utilization
in Farm Animals: Modelling
Approaches. CABI Publishing,
Wallingford, UK. pp. 69-83.
