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Taylor, Robert L., Jr.

Robert Taylor
bob.taylor@mail.wvu.edu 2108 Agricultural Sciences

Professor Emeritus of Animal and Nutritional Sciences

Robert L. Taylor, Jr., is a native of Fieldale, VA. He completed his B.A. and M.S. degrees from Carson-Newman College and Auburn University, respectively. His Ph. D. studies were directed by Bruce Glick at Mississippi State University. Bob joined the University of New Hampshire Department of Animal and Nutritional Sciences faculty where he rose through the faculty ranks to Professor. In 2014, he joined West Virginia University as Division Director and Professor of Animal and Nutritional Sciences where he served until 2018. He was named WVU Professor Emeritus of Poultry Immunology and Immunogenetics following his 2024 retirement.

His research studies genes that affect immune responses through the multistate research project “Genetic Bases for Resistance and Immunity to Avian Diseases,” Experiments in specialized chicken lines he developed revealed genetic effects on Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) tumor growth, v-src DNA tumor growth and metastasis, coccidiosis, Marek’s disease and antibody production. Immune effects of non-MHC alloantigens including MHCY, genes that are distinct from the MHC, were examined. Dr. Taylor helped classify the autosomal recessive inheritance of pigeon spontaneous atherosclerosis. A continuing collaboration with Dr. Janet Fulton of Hy-Line International located and identified genes for six chicken red blood cell alloantigens. He advocated for preservation of valuable genetic lines developed at multiple locations to facilitate research. His research impacted chicken responses against disease and production characteristics to benefit producers as well as consumers. His research has produced 146 refereed scientific journal articles plus 52 technical reports. Bob is a Fellow of the Poultry Science Association, the past Editor-in-Chief for Poultry Science and an Honorary Life member of the West Virginia Poultry Association. He is a Life Member of the Virginia Chapter of 4-H All Stars.

Publications

  1. Facchetti v Assumpcao, A., V. Caputi, C. M. Ashwell, C. F. Honaker, P. B. Siegel, R. L. Taylor, Jr, and J. M. Lyte. 2026. Serum biochemical profiles are distinct between White Leghorn chicken lines selected for divergent antibody response to sheep red blood cells. BMC Vet. Res. 22:120 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-025-05277-8
  2. Fulton. J. E., A. M. McCarron, A. Wolc, B. A. Sparling, L. Ali, C. Jaeger and R. L. Taylor, Jr. 2026. MCAM (CD146) gene encodes chicken blood alloantigen system H. Genes 17:412 https://doi.org/10.3390/genes17040412
  3. Taylor, R. L., Jr., A. M. McCarron, and J. E. Fulton. 2026. Research Note: Identification of SNP-based haplotypes for the A, D, E, I, and L alloantigen systems in the chicken reference genome line UCD-001. Poult. Sci. 105:106545 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2026.106545
  4. Fulton. J. E., A. M. McCarron, A. Wolc, A. Mullen, C. Foerstner, B. Sparling, W. Drobik-Czwarno, and R. L. Taylor, Jr. 2025. Genetic variation within ABCE1 is related to the chicken L blood system. Poult. Sci. 104:106027 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2025.106027
  5. Lyte, J. M., A. Facchetti v Assumpcao, V. Caputi, C. M. Ashwell, M. Seyoum, C. F. Honaker, K. M. Daniels, M. Lyte, P. B. Siegel, and R. L. Taylor, Jr. 2025. Co-evolution of the humoral immune and serotonergic systems in chickens selected for high or low blood antibody titer response to sheep red blood cells. Poult. Sci. 104:104699 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2024.104699
  6. Niraula, A., A. Wolc, J. E. Fulton, R. L. Taylor, Jr., and R. A. Dalloul. 2025. The chicken major histocompatibility complex (MHC-B) and alloantigen systems A, D, E, and I impact resistance to coccidiosis. Poult. Sci. 104:105151 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2025.105151
  7. Seyoum, M. M., A. Facchetti v Assumpcao, V. Caputi, C. M. Ashwell, C. F. Honaker, K. M. Daniels, M. Lyte, P. B. Siegel, R. L. Taylor, Jr., and J. M. Lyte. 2025. Multigenerational selection for high or low antibody responses to sheep red blood cells modulates the chicken cecal microbiome and its evolutionary relationship to immune and serotonergic systems. Poult. Sci. 104:104943 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2025.104943
  8. Taylor, R. L., Jr. 2025. Letter to the Editor – Insight for the next generation. Poult. Sci. 104:105855 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2025.105855
  9. Taylor, R. L., Jr., and J. E. Fulton. 2025. Identifying chicken alloantigens to understand their influence on disease and production traits. Poult. Sci. 104:106020 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2025.106020
  10. Fulton, J. E., A. M. McCarron, A. R. Lund, W. Drobik-Czwarno, A. Mullen, A. Wolc, J. Szadkowska, C. J. Schmidt and R. L. Taylor, Jr. 2024. The RHCE gene encodes the chicken blood system I. Gen. Sel. Evol. 56:47 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12711-024-00911-9
  11. Honaker, C. F., R. L. Taylor, Jr., F. W. Edens, and P. B. Siegel. 2024. Growth of white Leghorn chicken immune organs after long-term divergent selection for high or low antibody response to sheep red blood cells. Animals 14:1487 https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14101487
  12. Sparling, B. A., T. T. Ng, A. Carlo-Allende, F. M. McCarthy, R. L. Taylor, Jr., and Y. Drechsler. 2024. Immunoglobulin-like receptors in chickens: identification, functional characterization, and renaming to cluster homologue of immunoglobulin-like receptors. Poult. Sci. 103:103292 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2023.103292
  13. Swaggerty, C. L., C. F. Honaker, P. B. Siegel, M. H. Kogut, R. C. Anderson, C. M. Ashwell, and R. L. Taylor, Jr. 2024. Chickens selected for high and low antibody responses to sheep red blood cells influence cytokine and chemokine expression in peripheral blood leukocytes and splenic tissue. Poult. Sci. 103:103972 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2024.103972
  14. Fulton, J. E., W. Drobik-Czwarno, A. Wolc, A. M. McCarron, A.R. Lund, C. J. Schmidt and R. L. Taylor, Jr. 2023. CD99 and the chicken alloantigen D blood system. Genes 14:402 https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14020402
  15. Nolin, S. J., R. L. Taylor, Jr., F. W. Edens, P. B. Siegel, and C. M. Ashwell. 2023. Combining supervised machine learning with statistics reveals differential gene expression patterns related to
    energy metabolism in the jejuna of chickens divergently selected for antibody response to sheep red blood cells. Poult. Sci. 102:102751 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2023.102751
  16. Fulton, J. E., W. Drobik-Czwarno, A. Wolc, A. M. McCarron, A.R. Lund, C. J. Schmidt and R. L. Taylor, Jr. 2022. The chicken A and E blood group systems are due to variation in proteins encoded by genes within the chicken RCA syntenic gene region. J. Immunol. 209:1128–1137 https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.2101010
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