Award details

15AGRITECHCAT3 Innovative NextGen pig breeding using DNA sequence data

Reference	BB/N004736/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr John Hickey
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Professor John Woolliams
Institution	University of Edinburgh
Department	The Roslin Institute
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	1,170,166
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/11/2015
End date	31/10/2018
Duration	36 months

Abstract

Summary In this project, we will develop a new technology we call NextGen Breeding, which is based on the collection and utilization of very large quantities of sequence data, and will enable us to dramatically accelerate the rate of genetic improvement in our pig populations. This new technology will help us deliver real improvements to pig industry productivity and sustainability in the UK and around the world. The project involves collaboration between two world class UK partners, PIC (part of Genus plc), the world's leading pig breeding company and The Roslin Institute (RI), the world's leading research centre in the application of genomics and quantitative genetics to farm animal breeding. The project requires whole genome sequencing of samples on an unprecedented scale and even though our innovative approach dramatically reduces the costs over the conventional paradigm, the risk and costs are still considerable. Sharing the costs with Innovate UK would enable us to undertake this project.

Summary

Impact Summary

Impact summary (i) Animal breeding companies, breed societies, and levy boards. A successful outcome of the project is expected to quantify the value of NextGen Breeding, quantify the volume of data required to drive it, demonstrate how to implement it, and provide the tools required to implement it. NextGen Breeding is expected in increase the precision, efficacy and sustainability of animal breeding. By demonstrating and enabling NextGen Breeding animal breeding companies, breed societies and levy boards will be enabled to deliver a higher quality product more quickly and cheaply to their customers. PIC will further benefit from being able to directly commercialise NextGen Breeding rapidly. (ii) The entire chain of users of pig products. The entire chain of users of pig products, including meat packers, processors, retailers and consumers by providing a higher quality product, which costs them less, and is more environmentally friendly, healthier and suited to their individual requirements. (iii) NextGen Breeding is highly applicable to plant breeders, who are increasingly adopting genomic selection. Therefore the benefits to plant breeding organisations, in the developed and developing world, will be similar to those outlined for animal breeding companies, breed societies, and levy boards. These benefits will also pertain to managers of breeding programs for companion animal populations. (iv) UK plc will benefit from increased tax revenues through increased profitability of PIC, the pork supply chain, and other agricultural users should they adopt the method. (v) The academic community. Scientifically, the project constitutes a novel approach for generating and utilizing huge volumes of sequence data. This will enable larger and hence more powerful experiments than currently feasible, which together with the analysis of the data set to be generated in this project will answer fundamental questions in to animal genetics and more broadly to the genetics of quantitative traits, which is of interest to human geneticists, plant geneticists, and evolutionary biologists. The methods developed and utilised in this project will be applicable to several fields concerned with the generation and analysis of huge volumes of data (genetics, meteorology, engineering, etc.). The size of the data generated will spawn new research into methods of analysis, which will benefit researchers in many fields. (vi) Commercial sequence and genotype providers. Companies providing SNP or sequence data will be able to open up a completely new market based on low cost provision of huge volumes sequence data. (vii) Society. All members of society who work to improve or depend upon the competitiveness and sustainability of agriculture will benefit from the downstream practical applications outlined above. The application of NextGen Breeding by breeding organisations will lead to faster and more sustainable genetic progress, leading to healthier food, and food production that is more resource efficient and affordable. Increased efficiencies in agriculture has direct societal benefits in greater food security with less environmental impact. (viii) UK science base. The proposed methods and data set will provide a platform for increased R&D capabilities in the UK, maintaining its scientific reputation and associated institutions, with increased capability for sustainable agricultural production. (ix) Training. The proposed research will be embedded within training courses that the PI is regularly invited to give, and the post-docs working on the project will have the opportunity to be trained at a world-class institute in a cutting edge area of research while interacting with a leading commercial partner. (x) Policy. Sequence data is expensive, but the research and practical benefits are potentially large. Therefore much investment will be made in sequence data in the coming years. The methods and outcomes from this project will guide this.

Committee	Not funded via Committee
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	Agri-Tech Catalyst (ATC) [2013-2015]
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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