Producing better cattle through genetic sequencing
May 13, 2009 - Edmonton-Researchers from the University of Alberta who have contributed to sequencing the bovine genome will continue their work by sequencing the genome of several more animals in the coming months.
Stephen Moore announced last month in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal Science that the U of A bovine genomics program, in co-operation with several partners, will sequence a dairy bull, a beef bull and a Brazilian bull, as well as an elk and a water buffalo.
Moore made the announcement at the annual bovine genomics meeting, taking place on the U of A campus and bringing together researchers, industry and funding groups interested in beef, chicken, dairy, pork and other animal protein sources.
Moore and his group have been detecting genetic markers of cattle to identify groups of genes that are responsible for variation in many economically important traits such as meat quality, fatness, marbling, tenderness, growth and feed efficiency, to name a few.
"What sequencing genomes does is provide us with even more details about the structure of the genome. That helps us identify with greater precision the genetic markers that will enable us to produce more efficient beef and dairy cattle, which, in turn, will produce higher quality milk and meat products in a way that consumers are looking for," explained Moore.
In fact, the information gathered from sequencing will help breeders make even faster improvements to cattle and help meet the growing worldwide demand for animal protein. It's expected that to satisfy global food demand in 2050, food producers will have to double the amount of food they produce.
Another benefit of more efficient cattle is that less energy and resources are required. For example, in the 1950s, it took 40,000 hectares of land to grow the crops required to produce the cereal and feed for pigs and hens in order to make 60 million traditional breakfasts of bacon, eggs and toast. Today, through genetic breeding techniques, that amount had been reduced to 12,000 hectares.
The sequencing of these different animals will also provide valuable information and opportunities for scientists to better understand disease transfer between different species.
"It gives us a chance to look more clearly at the interaction between the animal and their pathogens (biological agents that cause disease to their hosts) and just how the diseases are spread between species," said GrahamPlastow, director of the Alberta Bovine Genomics Project.
Genetic sequencing is an unparalleled tool for scientists to deepen their understanding of the genes that are responsible for different traits and also of the evolution and health of animals.
The field of genetic sequencing is evolving at a faster rate than advances in computing. It's predicted computing power will continue to double about every two years while growth in genetic sequencing has been doubling steadily every 16 months since the early 1970s and is expected to continue to do so.
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