Research of Animal Breeding and Genomics
Animal Breeding and Genomics is the centre of excellence for all animal breeding and genomics activities of Wageningen University & Research. Insights from our research contribute to sustainable livestock and fish production in an international context.
Wageningen University & Research, Animal Breeding and Genomics (WUR-ABG) is a joint venture by the Animal Breeding and Genomics department of Wageningen Livestock Research and the Animal Breeding and Genomics chair group of Wageningen University.
We perform innovative research to meet the future demand for safe and healthy food of animal origin, while reducing environmental impact by making use of better resources. How do we do this? By working together with national and international companies and scientific partners and with a keen eye for the demands and expectations of society.
Research themes
Our is organised into seven focus groups, or research themes. Each theme focuses on a different aspect of animal breeding and genomics research and is led by a different focus group leader.
Genetic diversity
The aims of this focus group are:
- To better understand and preserve the genetic diversity of wild and domestic animal species
- To develop methods and tools for sustainable breeding programs and genetic management of populations
- To develop protocols for cryoconservation for implementation in animal species
Genomic prediction
The aims of this focus group are:
- To develop methods and tools for genomic prediction, tailored to specific populations and traits
- To optimise designs of reference populations and genomic breeding programmes
- To investigate the impact of genomic selection
Sustainable breeding & Big data
The aims of this focus group are:
- To explore collection of phenotypes
- To evaluate designs of breeding programmes
- To develop big data approaches and other statistical methods that contribute to a more sustainable animal husbandry and that work towards a result that can be applied in practice
International livestock
The aim of this focus group is to contribute to sustainable intensification of livestock production worldwide with expertise, research, education and capacity building. The focus is on sustainability and circularity of livestock systems and their contribution to food security.
Unravelling DNA & biology
The aims of this focus group are:
- To bridge the genotype-phenotype gap
- To understand how genotypes result in phenotypes by making use of a wide variety of methods and tools like whole genome sequencing, DNA methylation, gene expression, microbiota and organoids.
New laboratory techniques
The aims of this focus group are:
- To optimise existing laboratory protocols and introduce
To implement new laboratory techniques needed for all the other focus groups to perform innovative scientific research.
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