Faculty | VetMed
Kara Thornton-Kurth

Animal, Dairy & Vet Sciences
Beef Cattle Nutrition, Skeletal Muscle Growth and Physiology
Contact Information
DialPhone: (435) 797-7696
SendEmail: kara.thornton@usu.edu
Educational Background
Biography
Kara Thornton-Kurth is an Assistant Professor in the Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences Department at Utah State University. In 2009, she earned her B.S. in Honors Animal Science and a minor in Spanish from Washington State University. She then moved eight miles across the border and completed her doctoral studies in skeletal muscle physiology at the University of Idaho in 2013. Next, Dr. Thornton-Kurth worked as a post-doctoral research associate at University of Minnesota, where she received additional training in skeletal muscle growth. In 2015, she joined USU faculty and runs a research program focusing on the effects of nutrition and growth in livestock animals.
Teaching Interests
Research Interests
Awards
Graduate Research Mentor of the Year, 2021
ADVS DepartmentGraduate Research Mentor of the Year, 2020
ADVS DepartmentUndergraduate Research Mentor of the Year, 2019
ADVS DepartmentGamma Sigma delta Agricultural Graduate Research Student of the Year, 2011
Gamma Sigma Delta- University of IdahoAVS outstanding graduate student of the year, 2011
University of IdahoGraduate student poster presentation competition, 2010
Pacific northwest animal nutrition conferencePublications - Abstracts
Publications - Books & Book Chapters
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Publications - Fact Sheets
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Publications - Curriculum
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Publications - Journal Articles
- Reichhardt, C.C, Ahmadpour, A., Christensen, R.G, Ineck, N.E, Murdoch, G.K, Thornton-Kurth, K., (2021). Understanding the influence of trenbolone acetate and polyamines on proliferation of bovine satellite cells.. Domestic Animal Endocrinology, 74, doi: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2020.106479.
- Rose, M.F, Waldron, B.L, Isom, S.C, Peel, M.D, Thornton-Kurth, K., Miller, R.L, Rood, K.A, Hadfield, J.A, Long, J., Henderson, B., Creech, J.E, (2021). The effects of organic grass and grass-birdsfoot trefoil pastures on Jersey heifer development: Herbage characteristics affecting intake. Journal of Dairy Science, 104:10, 10879-10895. doi: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2020-19563
- Briggs, R.K, Christensen, R.G, Quarnberg, S.M, Legako, J.F, Raymond, R.C, MacNeil, M., Thornton-Kurth, K.J, (2021). Relationship between meat quality, carcass characteristics and protein abundance of HSPβ1, HSPA and DJ1 in beef longissimus thoracis pre-rigor or after 14 days aging.. Meat & Muscle Biology, 5:1, doi: 10.22175/mmb.11685
- Dang, D.S, Buhler, J.F, Thornton-Kurth, K., Legako, J.F, Matarneh, S.K, (2020). Myosin heavy chain isoform and metabolic profile differ in beef steaks varying in tenderness. Meat Science, 170, 108266.
- Gardner, J.M, Ineck, N.E, Quarnberg, S.M, Legako, J., Carpenter, C.E, Rood, K., Thornton-Kurth, K., (2020). The influence of maternal dietary intake during mid-gestation on growth, feedlot performance, miRNA and mRNA expression, and carcass and meat quality of the resultant offspring. Meat and Muscle Biology, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.22175/mmb.11538
- Dang, D., Buhler, J., Davis, H., Thornton-Kurth, K., Matarneh, S., (2020). Inhibition of mitochondrial calcium uniporter enhances postmortem proteolysis and tenderness in beef cattle. Meat Science, 162, 108039. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2019.108039
- Thornton-Kurth, K., (2019). TRIENNIAL GROWTH SYMPOSIUM: THE NUTRITION OF MUSCLE GROWTH: Impacts of nutrition on the proliferation and differentiation of satellite cells in livestock species.. Journal of Animal Science, 97, 2258-2269. doi: 10.1093/jas/skz081.
- Poli, C.H, Thornton-Kurth, K., Legako, J., Bremm, C., Hampel, V.S, Hall, J.O, Ipharraguerre, I., Villalba, J., (2018). Self-selection of plant bioactive compounds by sheep in response to challenge infection with Haemonchus contortus. Physiology & Behavior, 194:2018, 302-310. doi: doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.06.013
- Mizell, S., Miller, S.L, Royer, A.M, Thornton-Kurth, K., Garcia, M., (2017). Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms associated with growth and carcass traits located on QTL Regions previously associated with Bovine Respiratory Disease. Genetics and Molecular Research, 16:4
- Thornton-Kurth, K., Chapalamadugu, K.C, Eldredge, E.M, Murdoch, G.K, (2017). Analysis of Longissimus thoracis Protein Expression Associated with Variation in Carcass Quality Grade and Marbling of Beef Cattle Raised in the Pacific Northwestern United States. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 65:7, 1434-1442.
- Kamanga-Sollo, E., Thornton-Kurth, K., White, M.E, Dayton, W.R, (2017). Role of G protein-coupled estrogen receptor-1 in estradiol 17β-induced alterations in protein synthesis and protein degradation rates in fused bovine satellite cell cultures. Domestic Animal Endocrinology, 58, 90-96.
- Waldron, B.L, Banks, J.E, Newhall, R., Snyder, D.L, Thornton-Kurth, K., (2016). Interseeding Forage Kochia into Established CRP to Improve Fall and Winter Grazing Potential. Crop, Forage & Turfgrass Mamagement, 2, doi: 10.2134/cftm2015.0200
- Thornton-Kurth, K., Kamanga-Sollo, E., White, M.E, Dayton, W.R, (2016). Active G protein–coupled receptors (GPCR), matrix metalloproteinases 2/9 (MMP2/9), heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (hbEGF), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), erbB2, and insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) are necessary for trenbolone acetate–induced alterations in protein turnover rate of fused bovine satellite cell cultures. Journal of Animal Science, 94:6, 2332-2343.
- Thornton-Kurth, K., Richard, R.P, Colle, M.J, Doumit, M.E, de Veth, M.J, Hunt, C.W, Murdoch, G.K, (2015). Effects of dietary potato by-product and rumen-protected histidine on growth, carcass characteristics and quality attributes of beef.. Meat science, 107, 64-74.
- Thornton-Kurth, K., Kamanga-Sollo, E., White, M.E, Dayton, W.R, (2015). Role of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR), matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP2 and MMP9), heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (hbEGF), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), erbB2, and insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) in trenbolone acetate-stimulated bovine satellite cell proliferation.. Journal of animal science, 93:9, 4291-301.
- Kamanga-Sollo, E., Thornton-Kurth, K., White, M.E, Dayton, W.R, (2014). Role of G protein-coupled estrogen receptor-1, matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9, and heparin binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor in estradiol-17β-stimulated bovine satellite cell proliferation.. Domestic animal endocrinology, 49, 20-6.
- Welch, C.M, Thornton-Kurth, K., Murdoch, G.K, Chapalamadugu, K.C, Schneider, C.S, Ahola, J.K, Hall, J.B, Price, W.J, Hill, R.A, (2013). An examination of the association of serum IGF-I concentration, potential candidate genes, and fiber type composition with variation in residual feed intake in progeny of Red Angus sires divergent for maintenance energy EPD.. Journal of animal science, 91:12, 5626-36.
- Thornton-Kurth, K., Welch, C.M, Davis, L.C, Doumit, M.E, Hill, R.A, Murdoch, G.K, (2012). Bovine sire selection based on maintenance energy affects muscle fiber type and meat color of F1 progeny.. Journal of animal science, 90:5, 1617-27.
- Papasani, M.R, Thornton-Kurth, K., Yinggian, Z., Brezas, A., Welch, C., Wang, G., Villasante, A., Pokharel, D., Cheguru, P., Kotla, S., Julien, D.C, (2010). Does obesity reduce load-induced muscle hypertrophy?. The Journal of physiology, 588:Pt 11, 1819-20.
Academic Journal
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Publications - Literary Journal
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Publications - MultiMedia
Video
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Publications - Technical Reports
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Publications - Translations & Transcripts
Publications - Other
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