Consortium Research Platform on Genomics

ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), Karnal

The demand for animal products has been predicted to increase dramatically with increase in human population (FAO, 2002, Alexandratos and Bruinsma, 2012). Animal genetic resources (AnGR) have played a significant role in achieving food security since ages. Traditionally, man has been using breed substitution, cross-breeding or within-breed selection to improve the productivity of farm animals. The main aim in animal breeding is to select animals of high genetic merit for traits of interest. A thorough understanding of animal genomics and the impact of the environment would be required to exploit the AnGR for further increase in production. This appears to be an arduous task due to challenges of climate change, reducing water levels and unpredictable diseases. The availability of high throughput genomic technologies provides the opportunity to accept these challenges. Genomics and animal breeding are crucial in improving animal health, nutrition, reproduction and production. Animal genomics along with bioinformatics will facilitate the understanding of genetic traits and is expected to ensure enhancement of efficiency and sustainability of animals and their produce. It is anticipated that these technologies will enable the tracking of animals and their products throughout the food chain, to guarantee quality and safety in the near future.

The completion of the human genome sequencing project at the turn of the century further revolutionized the sequencing technology. Since then animal genomics has witnessed unprecedented growth. From Sangers' sequencing to single cell DNA/RNA sequencing, the progress has been phenomenal. Today the cost of whole genome sequencing has been considerably reduced. Animal genomics has subsequently progressed from microsatellite and QTL mapping in the 1990s to high throughput Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS), genomic selection (GS) and whole genome predictions (WGP). Several consortia were created for whole genome sequencing of major livestock species like cattle (The Bovine Genome Sequencing and Analysis Consortium et al. 2009), sheep (The International Sheep Genomics et al. 2010) and pig (Groenen et al. 2012). The generation of whole genome sequences of major livestock species has opened up new vistas for enhancing the momentum and precision of livestock improvement. The major task is to fathom the complexity of structure and functional aspects of the genome.

Objective

1. To elucidate population structure and genomic evolution in ruminant genetic resources of India.
2. To delineate genes and pathways associated with traits of economic importance (adaptation, wool, meat, etc.) in indigenous breeds, using functional genomics.
3. To develop genome database for facilitation of research and management of indigenous breeds.

Research targets/activities

1. Target Specie • Indigenous sheep and goat breeds swamp buffalo.
2. Identification of genes associated with important traits.
3. Development of gene expression atlas and genome databases for indigenous ruminant species.