P9b Thesis: Investigations of Heat Shock Protein 70 for Non-Invasive Detection of Heat Stress in Dairy Cows
PhD Student
Rezaul Rakib
Investigations of Heat Shock Protein 70 for Non-Invasive Detection of Heat Stress in Dairy Cows, by Dr Md Rezaul Hai Rakib, examined whether heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) could be used as a practical, non-invasive biomarker to detect heat stress in dairy cows. Using milk, blood and saliva samples from pasture-based dairy herds, the research explored how HSP70 responds to heat exposure, validated new laboratory testing methods, and assessed how sample handling and environmental conditions influence results.
The study found that HSP70 levels increase during periods of heat stress, particularly in summer and during heatwaves, reflecting the cellular stress experienced by cows. However, milk HSP70 was shown to respond with a delay compared with traditional physiological measures, indicating that it is best used as a complementary indicator of cumulative heat stress rather than a real-time measure. The findings support the potential of milk-based HSP70 testing as a welfare-friendly tool to help dairy producers better monitor and manage the impacts of heat stress in a warming climate.
Read more on Dairy UP’s P9 project
More information:
Prof. Sergio (Yani) Garcia | sergio.garcia@sydney.edu.au
Dr Rezaul Rakib | rezaul.rakib@sydney.edu.au
