Genome to Phenome: Improving Animal Health, Production, and Well-Being – A New USDA Blueprint for Animal Genome Research 2018–2027

Authors

Caird Rexroad, USDA, Agricultural Research ServiceFollow
Jeffrey Vallet, USDA, Agricultural Research Service
Lakshmi Kumar Matukumalli, USDA, National Institute of Food and Agriculture
James Reecy, Iowa State University
Derek Bickhart, USDA, Agricultural Research Service
Harvey Blackburn, USDA, Agricultural Research Service
Mark Boggess, USDA, Agricultural Research Service
Hans Cheng, USDA, Agricultural Research Service
Archie Clutter, University of Nebraska--LincolnFollow
Noelle Cockett, Utah State University
Catherine Ernst, Michigan State University
Janet E. Fulton, Hy-Line International
John Liu, Syracuse University
Joan Lunney, USDA, Agricultural Research Service
Holly Neibergs, Washington State University
Catherine Purcell, NOAA
Timothy P. L. Smith, USDA, Agricultural Research ServiceFollow
Tad Sonstegard, Acceligen
Jerry Taylor, University of Missouri
Bhanu Telugu, University of Maryland
Alison Van Eenennaam, University of California, Davis
Curtis P. Van Tassell, USDA, Agricultural Research Service
Kevin Wells, USDA, Agricultural Research Service

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2016

Citation

Front. Genet. 10:327

Comments

Copyright © 2019 Rexroad, Vallet, Matukumalli, Reecy, Bickhart, Blackburn, Boggess, Cheng, Clutter, Cockett, Ernst, Fulton, Liu, Lunney, Neibergs, Purcell, Smith, Sonstegard, Taylor, Telugu, Eenennaam, Tassell and Wells.

Open access

doi: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00327

Abstract

In 2008, a consortium led by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) published the “Blueprint for USDA Efforts in Agricultural Animal Genomics 2008–2017,” which served as a guiding document for research and funding in animal genomics. In the decade that followed, many of the goals set forth in the blueprint were accomplished. However, several other goals require further research. In addition, new topics not covered in the original blueprint, which are the result of emerging technologies, require exploration. To develop a new, updated blueprint, ARS and NIFA, along with scientists in the animal genomics field, convened a workshop titled “Genome to Phenome: A USDA Blueprint for Improving Animal Production” in November 2017, and these discussions were used to develop new goals for the next decade. Like the previous blueprint, these goals are grouped into the broad categories “Science to Practice,” “Discovery Science,” and “Infrastructure.” New goals for characterizing the microbiome, enhancing the use of gene editing and other biotechnologies, and preserving genetic diversity are included in the new blueprint, along with updated goals within many genome research topics described in the previous blueprint. The updated blueprint that follows describes the vision, current state of the art, the research needed to advance the field, expected deliverables, and partnerships needed for each animal genomics research topic. Accomplishment of the goals described in the blueprint will significantly increase the ability to meet the demands for animal products by an increasing world population within the next decade.