A Steak in Genomics™

Certified Angus Beef is have an intersting contest on their  Facebook page  where people are asked to visually appraise and rank a set of 4 heifers. But, the official placings are based upon their GeneMAX scores. GeneMAX is a genetic test marketed by Zoetis to identify cattle that grow well in the feedlot and produce a highly marbled carcass. Post your placings on Certified Angus Beef's Facebook page for a chance to win. Post the reasons for your placing in the comments section below!

As you may know, both Zoetis and GeneSEEK have updated their genomic tests. Zoetis still uses about 50,000 SNPs, but have now trained their data set with more animal records and genotypes. The genetic correlations for the Zoetis test range from 0.38 to 0.73. See  this Angus Journal article  for more information. GeneSeek now use about 80,000 SNPs in its genomic test. The genetic correlations for the GeneSeek test range from 0.60 to 0.70 for most traits, except milk which is at about 0.4 and calving ease direct which is at 0.34. See this explanation  from the American Angus Association. So, the accuracy differences appear to be pretty small. Both tests cost $75. If you add genetic abnormality tests, such as AM, NH, or CA, to the Zoetis test, you pay $23.00 per test. If you add an the same genetic abnormality tests to the GeneSeek test, you pay $8.00 per test. See the Angus Genetics Inc.  website  or  https://www.angusonline.org/AGI/AgiDnaPricing.aspx...

Gartner Research's Hype Cycle diagram , by Jeremy Kemp. 27 December 2007. Used under a CC-BY-SA license.   I was recently told that I was being over exuberant in my promotion of genomic technologies. If I have slipped into hyperbole , it has been for two reasons: a) An unintentional mistake. b) Push back against the disillusionment of a valid technology. In previous decades new DNA technologies, such as microsatellites, AFLP markers, etc, lead to a lot of hype about how the beef industry was going to be radically changed by these DNA technologies. These were the "Technology Trigger" and "Peak of Inflated Expectations" in the diagram above. I've previously described that these single gene DNA tests completely under-performed compared to expectations. Consequentially, the "Peak of Inflated Expectations" was followed by the "Trough of Disillusionment". In this period of disillusionment, two important things happened. First,...

Here is an article about the discovery and utilization of genetic markers to reduce the susceptibility of sheep to ovine progressive pneumonia virus. From  Viral Infection in Sheep Linked to Gene : "Producers could use the marker we’ve made available to make a flock genetically less susceptible to disease, and therefore, decrease the risk of animals becoming infected again over time," Leymaster says.   The ultimate goal is to give producers tools that allow them to choose breeding stock that do not have genetic risk factors, he says, so they can reduce the prevalence of OPPV and eventually eradicate it from flocks.    " We don’t want to oversell these findings, but at the same time, we want producers to consider how they might use this to their advantage," Leymaster says. "We’re continuing our research and will be able to contribute additional information in the future. I’m optimistic that the industry will be able to successfully address this major dis...

I am excited to announce that I have accepted a tenure-track faculty position in the Division of Animal Sciences  at the University of Missouri focusing on beef cattle genetics extension and research. While my basic research efforts will continue, such as reassembling the bovine reference genome sequence, a much larger part of my efforts will focus on my extension program. My Extension Program My extension program will be a mix of science communication and collaborative translational research , concentrated on using genomic technology in beef cattle breeding and production. I will work with beef breeders to help them understand and use new genomic technologies in their operations. I will collaborate with breed associations to assist in developing and deploying genomic selection programs. I have adopted Cees Leeuwis' redefinition of extension education as communication for rural innovation. My Motivation When I was 9 years old I exhibited a heifer at my county fair. I w...

Drovers Cattle Network recently shared this  video  in which they discussed the recent changes at Igenity.  The conversation continued by discussing strategies (and products) to reduce risk and select the best replacement heifers and cows during drought conditions.  So, that got me interested in the products referred to by Dr. Jim Gibb.  A quick search lead me to here and here on Igenity's website.  At the end of the second link it says: Have more questions? Let an expert give you the inside information — igenity.support@neogen.com So, what questions should beef producers be asking?  As we previously discussed , some beef genomic technologies return valuable information (tests for traits with genes of large effect, genomic selection) and some do not (gene tests predicting a complex trait with a small number of markers).  Following are some questions (and suggested actions) to get you started: 1. Has the test been validated by the NCBEC? ...