Abstract

SheepGenomics is a major A$30 million initiative of Meat and Livestock Australia and Australian Wool Innovation Limited supported by 10 leading research organisations in Australia and New Zealand. It aims to discover genes that influence economically important traits in sheep. By using discoveries made within SheepGenomics’ research program, sheep producers will be able to start breeding for a wide range of economically important traits with greater confidence than is currently possible. One of the themes in the programme is to improve key aspects of wool quality and focus on genes that regulate follicle formation in the skin of foetal lambs. This paper describes key aspects of the management structure of SheepGenomics, an overview of three of the Subprograms (Muscle, Parasites and Coretech) and a more detailed description of the Wool Subprogram.

RG, Forage, and PI Hynd

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 66, Napier, 119-124, 2006