The British Society of Animal Science (BSAS) is delighted to announce that Xinyi Huang from the University of Glasgow and Moredun Research Institute has been awarded the Steve Bishop Award to carry out her project titled ‘Rapid detection of mastitis pathogens in milk via integrated microflu-idic-Raman microspectroscopy’

This project focuses on developing an advanced diagnostic tool to enhance the management of mastitis, a common and economically significant disease in dairy cattle. Funded by Innovate UK Business Connect the Award worth up to £5,000, supports the develop-ment of new partnerships working on specific short research programmes.

Speaking about her achievement, Xinyi Huang said:
"I am honoured to receive the Steve Bishop Award for my research. This award will enable me to build a valuable interdisciplinary collaboration between the University of Glasgow and the Moredun Research Institute whilst undertaking an independent research project that addresses a key issue in the dairy industry which could really benefit dairy farmers”

As the award sponsors Lucy Mather and Caroline Griffin of Innovate UK Business Connect, emphasised the importance of fostering innovation in animal science, commenting:

"We are proud to support the Steve Bishop Award and Xinyi Huang’s project and look forward to positive outcomes from her work. This project has the potential to transform veterinary diagnos-tics by providing a rapid, portable, and accurate tool for detecting mastitis pathogens and provid-ing preliminary data for developing tools for rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of bo-vine mastitis pathogens using Raman microspectroscopy. Early and precise identification of in-fections will facilitate targeted treatments, mitigating the economic impact of mastitis and en-hancing animal welfare”.

The Steve Bishop Award was established to support early-career researchers developing innova-tive technologies that can drive improvements in livestock health, welfare, and productivity. Xinyi will present her findings in April 2026 at the Society’s Annual Conference in York. 

Maggie Mitchell, CEO of BSAS, praised Xinyi’s application, stating: "Xinyi’s research embodies the spirit of innovation that the Steve Bishop Award celebrates. Her work addresses a critical is-sue in animal health and has the potential to deliver real-world impact. We are excited to see how this research progresses and benefits the dairy industry."

For more information about the Steve Bishop Award and the British Society of Animal Science, visit: www.bsas.org.uk/awards