The Strategic Objective of SABRE is to provide the fundamental knowledge of the genomics and epigenetics of animal health, food safety and food quality traits of livestock species, together with the strategies to deliver such technologies for use in selection. This will enable producers to move animal breeding and production towards more sustainable, environmentally and welfare friendly, low-input systems, that deliver safe and high quality foods in line with consumer expectations and European Policy.
To provide fundamental knowledge on the genomics and epigenetics relating to livestock including:
· Determining the contribution of epigenetics to phenotypic trait variation
· Providing a tool to combine molecular genetic testing and epigenetic analysis in the dissection of a trait
· Sequencing and annotating 2 targeted porcine chromosomes
· Generating SNP panels and linkage disequilibrium maps for chickens, pigs and cattle
· Development of phenotype ontologies to facilitate comparative genomics
· Provision of pathway analysis tools for annotation of transcriptomics studies
· Development of methods for robust combined linkage and disequilibrium mapping of QTL
· Determination of effective approaches to combine positional and expression QTL analysis
· Release of user-friendly software for genetic analyses to the European research community.
To provide understanding of biological systems central to sustainability including:
· Gene expression in chicken and pigs under nutritional and microbial challenge
· Fine mapping of QTL in chicken and pigs controlling gut health parameters
· Identification of biological and positionally relevant genes associated with gut health.
· Fine mapping and characterisation of QTL affecting mastitis
· Identification of candidate genes and genetic pathways involved in response to mastitis infection
· Identification of genes involved in reproduction in the cow
· Fine mapping of eggshell quality QTLs and identification of candidate genes through expression analysis
· Determining gene expression responses to stress in pigs and poultry
· Mapping of QTL for stress responses and detection of polymorphisms in candidate genes
· Identification of new candidate genes for boar taint by comparative genome-wide expression and proteomic studies
To identify genes and markers allowing focused breeding for sustainability goals:
· Identification and validation of polymorphisms affecting reproduction in the cow
· Detection of eggshell quality markers in experimental and commercial populations
· Identification of predictive SNPs for boar taint
· Confirmation of boar taint predictive SNPs in experimental and commercial populations
To demonstrate the effectiveness of genomics for sustainable breeding, including:
· Demonstrating genomic selection in action in two dairy cattle populations
· Determine frequencies of relevant new alleles in a range of species and breeds
· Provide advice to industry on sustainable breeding strategies
To disseminate existing knowledge and new results to the user community, including:
· Direct transfer of knowledge to relevant research programmes and to potential end-users
· Brokerage of licences for the commercialisation of Intellectual Property and know-how
· Developing awareness of the programme and opportunities for collaboration, synergy and the bundling of intellectual property
· Open and transparent engagement of the academic, and user communities (together with relevant policy makers) in the ethical and societal issues raised by programme of research
To develop skills and training to best capitalise on new genomics knowledge, including:
· Disseminate knowledge, provide practical training and spread best practice within SABRE
· Disseminate knowledge and provide practical training for the wider European Community, particularly new Member States
· Provide training for industry to ensure effective utilisation of new selection tools developed
· Provision of Early Stage Training to develop a new flow of skilled scientists