It’s about cows ….

Advances in the characterisation of the bovine genome feature highly in this project. Work is progressing well towards the identification of specific genes that render animals resistant to mastitis. Mastitis is one of the most important and common diseases in dairy cattle, affecting the health of the cows, the quality of their product (milk) and the profitability of the sector, while raising significant issues related to animal welfare and consumer safety. Earlier research has shown that resistance or susceptibility to the disease is monitored by genetic factors. Quantomics is discovering exactly how these factors render certain animals resistant and others susceptible to mastitis. The project will go a step further and, with the use of custom-developed algorithms and software, integrate this knowledge into practical management tools. The end results will be directly usable in selection programmes aiming at enhancing the health profile of the world dairy cattle population.

A link to a relevant scientific publication is: http://www.ebi.ac.uk/citexplore/citationDetails.do?externalId=20855026&dataSource=MED