Genomics
Accelerated Genetics was the first to
use DNA research in the A.I. Industry 20 years ago and today continues its visionary
strategy through a new equipment investment at its research arm,
Genetic Visions, Inc.
For the past 20 years, Genetic Visions, Inc., Middleton, Wis., has been on the cutting edge of bovine genetic marker research identifying genes influencing production traits, gestation length, animal health and viability. Recently, Genetic Visions invested in genomic scanning equipment from Illumina, Inc., San Diego, Calif., that will allow them to use the 'gold standard' of genomic scanning procedures using Illumina's Bovine 50K SNP assay...READ MORE!
Genomic Selection - A Practical Explanation
Dr. Kent Weigel - Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in Dairy Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Since December 2007, roughly 15,000 North American
dairy bulls have been genotyped using a technology called the Illumina Bovine SNP50 BeadChip.
This technology was developed in a partnership between Illumina Inc., the USDA Agricultural Research
Service, the National Association of Animal Breeders, Merial
and researchers at several other universities and institutes.
The major breakthrough delivered by this technology is the ability to carry out 54,000 DNA marker tests simultaneously, for a modest cost of less than $250 per animal. These single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, which represent single base changes (A, T, C, or G) within the DNA sequence, can be genotyped much more efficiently than the labor-intensive (one at a time) microsatellite markers that had been used in the past. Read more...
Questions and Answers on Genomics
Dr. Ole Meland - Vice President of Genetics, Accelerated Genetics
Genomics has burst onto the scene in recent months. I was asked to shed some light
on what it is and how it is likely to affect A.I. and
dairy cattle breeding. In general,I started by sending out an email to many
of my colleagues and to producers around the country asking them to let me know
what questions they have or what questions producers have had as it relates to what
affect genomics will have on dairy cattle breeding. The response was great! I received
82 questions from 18 sources. Obviously, many had similar questions.
Let me start by saying I am confident that genomics will prove to be the greatest techonological advancement in the dairy industry in the last 40 years. As encouraging as it is now, it is just the beginning of where this technology can take us in the future. So, let's get started. Read more...
