Postgraduate Training in Genetics for Animal Breeding

Contents.

• The need for this training.
• Conditions of candidature.
• The Academic Environment.
• The Awards.
• The Courses.
• Postgraduate research.
• Scholarships.
• Further information.

The need for training in genetics for animal breeding.

Breeding for genetic change plays a major role towards the increase in the range and efficiency of animal production. Skilled practitioners are required to both determine optimal directions of genetic change and to design and implement breeding programs which give fast and appropriate genetic change.

These skills are largely based on the mathematics of population structures and genetic evaluation, but with the additional need for a sound knowledge of the prevailing farming systems and industry/market forces.

The employment demand for persons skilled in genetics for animal breeding is strong from the technician level through to the post-doctoral level.

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Conditions of candidature for training in Animal Breeding and Genetics

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The Academic Environment.

Animal breeding and genetics forms a focus in the Department of Animal Science at UNE. Three academic staff members teach in this area (Professor Brian Kinghorn, Dr. Julius van der Werf and Ms. Lynette McLean). In addition, other Animal Science staff members (Prof. Stuart Barker, Susan Meszaros, Gerhard Moser, Alex del Bosque) as well as  scientists from the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit, on campus, contribute to advanced courses.

Armidale is a center for animal breeding research and industry activity. Groups in Armidale which interact with the Department of Animal Science include:

The Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit: This unit consists of eight research scientists, plus support staff, who develop commercially applicable breeding objectives, breeding strategies, and genetic evaluations systems. The unit specialises in software development in these areas, especially for the beef and pig industries.

The Beef Cooperative Research Centre  has started operations in 1993 and was refunded in 1999, bringing massive funding levels for applied research into issues associated with the production of quality beef.

The office of the Nation Lambplan Coordinator. This office is located in the Department of Animal Science. The Coordinator carries out applied research and industry support for the application of the LAMBPLAN genetic evaluation system for Australia's meat sheep industry.

The Agricultural Business Research Institute. This institute specialises in delivery of bureau services for genetic evaluation programs in a number of species, but particularly beef cattle. The breeding data for all major beef breeds are maintained in databases at ABRI (over 1200 herds in the BREEDPLAN system), and are used to report estimates of breeding value, as well as genetic trends and management aid information.

The offices of most of Australia's cattle breed societies. These societies have now congregated at Armidale because of the technical support and communication provided by AGBU, ABRI and each other.

CSIRO's Pastoral research laboratory. This laboratory carries out research in all aspects of wool production. The group working in genetic improvement of sheep is particularly strong, with special attention paid to the genetics of disease resistance, and wool production.

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The Awards.

Cert.Rur.Sci. Certificate in Rural Science: Animal Breeding and Production option.

Courses are GEST 325 plus two others chosen from GENE 422 and a range of Animal Production courses.
 

Postgrad.Cert.Rur.Sci. Postgraduate Certificate in Rural Science: Animal Genetics and Breeding option.

The Department of Animal Science offers a 14-week postgraduate certificate course in Animal Breeding and Genetics, aimed largely at extension officers and consultants to the animal breeding industries. The course starts about mid-July each year. A typical set of courses would be: GEST325; GENE522; GENE500 and GENE520. Some of these could be replaced by courses in Meat or Animal Science. See Animal Science courses

COURSE OBJECTIVES: To train appropriately and sufficiently to give participants the ability:

1. To have sufficient technical skills in quantitative genetics to command a position of some authority during the act of giving animal breeding advice:

Without such ability, the advice giver can be seen largely as a go-between linking to unseen experts. Where advice is not expressly sought, as is often the case in extension services, an inexpert advice giver can be of negative value.

With such ability the advice giver is much more likely to have the respect and confidence of the advice seeker.

2. To design a commercially relevant breeding program without extensive support from research specialists.

There is a definite lack of people outside the research community who can do this in a comprehensive and effective manner. The demand for such services is increasing rapidly with the fast increasing uptake of quantitative genetics in all Australia's animal breeding industries.

3. To make real contributions to Australia's animal industries by maintaining or securing positions in which they can make use of their training.

ELIGIBILITY: Applicants should have fulfilled the requirements for a Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Science, Veterinary Science, or Science, or other qualification awarded by a university or institution, and acceptable to the Faculty of the Sciences, UNE, as sufficient for admission. Where an applicant's qualifications may not meet Faculty requirements, their relevant professional experience may be taken into account.

Quantitative genetics is the science underlying the technical aspects of this course. It should be noted that this involves considerable use of mathematical statistics and algebra. The course will provide some training in these areas, but students will require some proficiency in mathematics to proceed with comfort.

Grad.Dip.Sc.Ag. Graduate Diploma in Science in Agriculture.

This 12-month Diploma provides training at about the level of the fourth year of the Batchelor of Rural Science. It starts in mid-February or mid-July. It is suitable for those seeking to enter a career at the technical level or possibly research officer level, and can be used to gain entry to a Masters program.

The Diploma coursework is generally less advanced than that for the Postgraduate Certificate, with no requirement to take postgraduate-level units. However, Diploma students are encouraged to take one or two postgraduate units to give specialised skills in quantitative genetics. A research program of about 3 months duration is undertaken with supervision from an academic member of staff.

M.Agr. Master of Agriculture

This contains postgraduate-level courses only, and as such is a more challenging course. It forms a most sound base for high level training which is not aimed to progress to the PhD level. The ability to complete within a year is attractive for both students and, if appropriate, to their employers, who are less affected by staff release for this shorter period.

M.Sc.Ag. Master of Science in Agriculture.

This is an 18-month coursework-plus-thesis program, giving advanced training to the level of research officer, or extension specialist. It starts in mid-February or mid-July. It can be used to help gain entry to a Ph.D. program.

The coursework is normally as for the Postgraduate Certificate program but with the addition of two coursework units, at least one being at the postgraduate level. A research program of about 6 months duration is undertaken with supervision from an academic member of staff.

M.Rur.Sc. Master of Rural Science.

This research-only program usually takes 2 years to complete, starting at any time of year. Given an appropriate undergraduate training, it is more appropriate for those students seeking a career in research. It can be used to gain entry to a Ph.D. program.

Ph.D. Doctor of Philosophy.

This research-only program usually takes 3 to 4 years to complete, starting at any time of year. This program is appropriate for those students seeking a career leading to senior positions in research, research direction, and academia.

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The Courses in Genetics & Animal Breeding at UNE.

NOTE: for detail on these and other animal science courses click here

The following course units form the basis of coursework training in genetics for animal breeding:

GENE 210 [6 credit points] Introductory genetics. This is a second year undergraduate core course which provides an introduction to genetics at the molecular level (structure, function and mutation of DNA) through cells (cytology and cell division) and individuals (Mendelian and developmental genetics) to the population level (Hardy Weinberg theory and gene frequency changes). Most postgraduate students have sufficient training to miss this course.

GEST 325 [6 credit points] Quantitative genetics and statistics. This is a third year undergraduate core course which provides an introduction to Quantitative Genetics. It gives students some feel for the principles of selection and crossbreeding. Elementary skills are developed for estimating the breeding value of animals for commercially important traits, predicting rates of genetic improvement, and designing animal breeding programs to help maximise gains. Application in animal and plant breeding industries is discussed.

GENE 422 [6 credit points] Genetic Evaluation and Breeding Program Design. This course deepens the coverage of procedures to design breeding programs and to evaluate animals genetically, and broaden the coverage of technical aspects of application in the animal breeding industries. Students should develop the ability to calculate economic weightings for a breeding objective, design key aspects of an animal breeding program, and set up a genetic evaluation system using pedigree data. An
introduction is also given to aspects of molecular genetics and reproductive techniques, which may impact on
animal production.

GENE 500 [6 credit points] Special reading unit. This is a special reading and assignment course tailored to the interest and needs of the individual student. Activities may include, for example, computer modelling of an animal breeding system, comprehensive development of a breeding objective or an exercise in genetic evaluation using both real and simulated data.

GENE 522 [6 credit points]  Genetic Evaluation and Breeding Program Design . This is a postgraduate course with basically the same contents as GENE422. Students can not take credit from both GENE422 and GENE522.

GENE 520 [6 credit points] Advanced applications in animal breeding. This is an assignment course at the postgraduate level. Participants are required to complete one consultancy-orientated report, or a  report based one a technical assignment.  The topics are related to animal breeding programs, and may require optimization of selection strategies, or comparison of alternative methods or designs. In general, participants choose their own areas to develop, with guidance from a supervisor (one supervisor per participant).
 
 

Practical sessions in these courses make wide use of computer-aided training, with particular emphasis on graphical portrayal of quantitative genetic theory, and testing of theory through computer simulations. Other courses in Molecular Genetics, Evolutionary Genetics, Animal Production, Agricultural Economics, Biometry and Computing can also be taken, according to student needs and degree requirements. Genetics courses of potential value to a training in animal breeding are described here:

GENE 310 [6 credit points] Molecular genetics. This is a third year undergraduate unit which examines the Molecular Genetics of prokaryotes, eukaryotes and their viruses. An understanding of molecular genetics contributes to a foundation for those interested in the use of genetic markers and gene transfer as future tools for animal breeding. Topics in this unit include: genome organisation, gene structure and function, mechanisms of gene regulation. The remainder of the unit provides an introduction to developmental genetics with emphasis on the molecular and cellular basis of differentiation, determination and morphogenesis. Laboratory periods provide an introduction to the techniques of molecular genetics including: screening a gene library, cloning, DNA fingerprinting and DNA sequencing.

GENE 322 [6 credit points] Evolutionary and conservation genetics.This unit provides an understanding of major evolutionary phenomena from a genetic point of view and is useful for a variety of degree programs. It includes major topics of modern evolutionary genetics such as population genetics, molecular evolution, genetics of speciation and reconstruction of phylogeny. A section is devoted to genetics of small populations, conservation and biodiversity. Computer workshops, seminars and laboratory works contribute significantly to a comprehension of the genetic basis of evolutionary processes and genetic conservation issues.

GENE 335 [6 credit points] Mamalian genetics. This course covers the major aspects of modern mammalian genetics and prepares students for their possible future involvement in relevant research and applied projects. The objective of the course is to show similarities and differences in determination of essential traits across mammalian species as well as the ways of utilisation of this knowledge for selection purposes. This course suggests modern information concerning mapping of  mammalian genomes, molecular genetics, immunogenetics and disease resistance, genetics of reproduction
and several other related topics. Students get essential information about modern applications of quantitative
genetics, including quantitative trait loci (QTL) and marker assisted selection (MAS). Genetics of domestic
mammals is the focus of considerations, while genetics of laboratory mammals and humans plays a
complementary role. This course is based on the integrated approach and thus unites different branches of
modern genetics.
 

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Postgraduate research.

The Department of Animal Science, together with the Animal Breeding and Genetics Unit, supports many postgraduate students doing research in genetics for animal breeding. In addition, many students work in satellite areas studying genetic aspects of disease resistance, reproduction or growth. From 1995, the Department plans to offer research supervision in the emerging field of Conservation Genetics, with particular emphasis on the conservation of genetic material of both current and future economic value.

The following lists some of the Ph.D. and M.Rur.Sci. research programs undertaken it recent years:

Genetic relationships among growth, carcass traits and maternal ability in meat sheep.
Molecular mapping of Haemonchus contortus resistance genes in the Golden Ram flock.
Strategies for genetic improvement of disease resistance in Merino Sheep.
Linear models applied to swine sire proofs.
Mixed model prediction for economic merit.
The design of open nucleus breeding schemes.
Physiological factors affecting preweaning growth in the Trangie weight selection lines.
Genetic aspects of growth in mice.
Genetic evaluation and breeding strategies which accommodate both additive and non-additive variation.
Solving the mixed model equations.
Mate selection in animal breeding
Design and implementation of MOET breeding schemes.
Genetic components of Merino lamb survival
Genetic analysis of temperament and its relationships with other traits in tropical cattle.
RFLP analysis of drug resistance genes in Trichostrongylus colubriformis.
Genetic evaluation strategies under multi-sire joining.
The use of portfolio theory in animal breeding.
The genetic relationships between early and adult measurements of wool production in medium-wool Merinos.
A genetic analysis of pig breeds and crosses in Vietnam.
Genetic parameters for carcass and meat quality traits in pigs.
Genetic marker analysis to detect quantitative trait loci in Pere David x Red deer hybrids.
Marker assisted selection in animal breeding.
Design and model fitting in animal breeding experiments.
Optimising the objective and design of breeding programs with the use of genetic algorithms
The use of quantitative trait loci in livestock improvement
Genetic evaluation of native and crossbred dairy cattle in Pakistan
Detection and evaluation of quantitative trait loci in meat sheep
Optimizng selection on quantitative trait loci
 

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Scholarships.

The University of new England advertises UNE Research Scholarships, Australian Postgraduate Research Scholarships and Australian Postgraduate Course Awards in the National Press, typically during September and October, with closing dates at 31 October. Applications for Rural Industry Research Funds are usually called for in the national press between September and November.

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Further information.

Courses and programs: Dr. Julius van der Werf jvanderw@metz.une.edu.au  Genetics Teaching Unit Animal Science University of New England Armidale, NSW 2351.  Phone (02) 6773 2092 Secy. (02) 6773 2226 Fax (02) 6773 3275

Application procedures, Fees and regulations: Ms. Wendy Hyde whyde@metz.une.edu.au  Assistant Registrar Faculty of the Sciences University of New England Armidale, NSW 2351.   Phone (02 ) 6773 2662 Fax: (02) 6773 3376

Scholarships: Ms. Lisa Cuskelly tmoore@metz.une.edu.au  Research Grants and Scholarships University of New England Armidale, NSW 2351.     Phone (02) 6773 2745 Fax (02) 6773 3543

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Author : Brian Kinghorn ( bkinghor@metz.une.edu.au ) and Julius van der Werf  (jvanderw@metz.une.edu.au)
Last revision : 28 january 2000