By Lynnette Harris
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded more than $3.25 million grant to support a new research collaboration network of animal scientists led by Professor Noelle Cockett, an animal geneticist at Utah State University.
The initiative seeks to:
- Foster greater collaboration among animal genetics researchers.
- Educate student researchers via workshops and exchanges with other labs.
- Develop a means of connecting livestock producers and people who advise them, such as USU Extension faculty, with researchers and information.
The overarching goal is to build a network that makes knowledge and resources available to researchers working across the spectrum of animal science to improve livestock breeding and productivity. Achieving those goals will have widespread positive impacts on climate-smart agriculture and food security.
Scientists whose research contributes to understanding the genomes of agriculturally important animal species will be encouraged to participate in the collaborative, focused on genome sequencing, developing digital representations of DNA sequences, understanding gene functions and precision breeding for specific traits.
“We will also want the collaborative to include animal scientists who are or would like to apply genomics information to their research and those who often work with producers,” Cockett said.
By connecting researchers in new ways, Cockett and the team of program co-directors at 10 land-grant universities across the country believe it is possible to help unlock new insights into the genetics of key agricultural animals like cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, poultry and fish, paving the way for innovations in animal breeding, production excellence and efficiency, disease resistance and greater sustainability.
“Our goal is to bridge existing knowledge among scientists and encourage shared learning to fill knowledge gaps without prescribing the specific research questions scientists should pursue,” Cockett said. “Collaboration is key to our progress.”
Connecting Scientists and Data
For over 30 years, the National Animal Genome Research Program (NRSP-8) has played a central role in advancing genetic research, organizing scientists into specialized groups focusing on a species. The research collaboration network takes a new approach, encouraging researchers to collaborate across species lines to study research objectives rather than specific breeds. For example, focusing on gene function research means scientists working on feed efficiency in cattle, pigs, and sheep, will share findings that may benefit all.
“It’s also important to connect with researchers who are exploring different kinds of traits in the same species,” Cockett said. “For example, I’m searching for genes and genetic regions related to fleece traits in alpacas, and someone else is looking at genes and regions controlling milk production in alpacas, but we don’t both need to sequence the alpaca genome. We can work on that larger objective together. Likewise, the RCN can connect me with scientists who understand genes related to fiber traits in other species.”
The research collaboration network will provide researchers and graduate students with structured opportunities for collaboration, from workshops to lab exchanges. Cockett notes that the collaborative is not just about sharing data but connecting researchers to fill in knowledge gaps.
Tools are Changing Genetics Research
Cockett was part of the international effort to sequence the sheep genome in the early 2000s and notes that newer tools are boosting the speed and accuracy of understanding genetics.
Artificial intelligence is transforming how scientists analyze vast data sets from animal genomes worldwide. With AI, researchers can more easily pinpoint connections between genetic markers and traits like milk production or muscle growth — even in species where research is limited.
Cockett said AI is allowing scientists to ask new kinds of questions as it can rapidly scan large databases to help identify regions of a genome related to a specific desirable trait. These tools are essential for tracking traits across generations, which reduces the guesswork of traditional selective breeding, which can take years to produce animals with a desired trait.
Among the game-changing technologies that have been developed in the last decade is something less familiar to non-scientists: the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip. SNP chips (snip chips) allow scientists to rapidly and economically identify minute genetic variations that influence traits in animals. Imagine a genome as a massive instruction manual with billions of letters; SNP chips are like a spellchecker that locates specific typos, or single nucleotide polymorphisms, related to determining traits like disease resistance or growth rate.
“I see tremendous opportunities for scientists, and particularly graduate students, to find new ways to use these and other technologies,” Cockett said. “The RCN will have training grants and support exchanges between labs where students can learn directly from scientists beyond those at their university.”
Ethics and the Promise of Genetic Modification
As genetics technologies advance, so does the potential for genetic modifications in animals. The field of animal genetics has inherent scientific and ethical challenges. The research collaboration network and its collaborators are committed to responsible research, considering both ethical and practical implications, and working with regulators as discoveries are made and proven safe.
Currently, the FDA has approved just two kinds of genetically engineered animals for food use — faster-growing AquAdvantage salmon and allergen-free GalSafe pigs. The pigs are genetically modified so they do not produce a specific sugar molecule that can cause allergic reactions in people with Alpha-gal syndrome. As with many genetically modified animals, their use extends beyond producing safe meat. GalSafe animals can also be used for important medical uses like drug development and replacement tendons and heart valves.
Cockett has faced ethical questions in her own research, particularly around her work with sheep that have a natural genetic mutation for larger muscles.
“I have been asked how I feel about having created a mutant animal,” Cockett said. “I didn’t create a genetic variation in my lab. It occurred naturally on a farm and was passed on through generations. We were able to identify the variation in DNA that caused the trait and can now select for that trait with precision.”
One example of what can be achieved through genetically modifying animals was reported in October 2023 in the journal Nature Communications.Researchers reported that a small change to a single gene made chickens resistant to an avian influenza infection. Avian influenza viruses are highly contagious and deadly, and producers have had to euthanize millions of chickens in attempts to stop the spread of the virus.
There are also verified cases of the virus moving from birds into cattle. Scientists found a specific gene that tells cells how to make a protein that flu viruses use to infect cells. Disrupting the virus’s path to causing infection stopped most of the genetically edited birds from being infected.
Large food production companies employ scientists who work on many of the genetics questions other researchers are also trying to answer, but their discoveries typically belong solely to the company.
By identifying traits that lead to animals to be healthier, more efficient, resistant to diseases, and/or resilient to climate change, ongoing research and better-coordinated efforts among animal scientists can help meet the important goals of developing more sustainable agriculture and building global food supplies.
Source : usu.edu