Section 04 – DNA Technology
Introduction
Advances in molecular biology, especially genomics, provide a new set of information to be incorporated into the animal industry. On one hand, the use of molecular information may contribute to the enhancement of consumers' trust in the ability to monitor and control the animal production chain. On the other hand, molecular information will greatly contribute to the achievement of genetic improvement for animal traits through the use of genomic breeding values, marker assisted selection, gene introgression, heterosis prediction, pedigree validation/prediction, and genetic defect carrier status. In most cases, advantages of using molecular information via genomic evaluations, comes from improved accuracy of animal breeding values, shortened generation intervals, and increased intensity of selection. Even with these advancements there is still a need for research and development in the search for associations between genetic markers and traits of interest, especially as new traits are included in national evaluation indexes. In addition to that, even with the current incorporation of genomic information into national selection schemes, an understanding of gene action, gene interactions, and differential gene expression to avoid negative collateral effects is needed. Cooperation between animal industries and research is required for a successful and beneficial search for genetic information in commercial livestock populations.
