Development of breeding methodology in the genomic era

High throughput genotyping of genetic markers at low cost (e.g. 60’000 markers for <200 € per animal) opens completely new perspectives for animal breeding. This genomic revolution will lead to a fundamental change of paradigm in animal breeding, only comparable to the impact of the advent of artificial insemination in the 1960s. Genomic breeding programmes are in the implementation phase in dairy cattle and soon will be of practical relevance in other species like chicken or pig. We are a partner in extensive large-scale genotyping projects in cattle, sheep, chicken, and pig. Our research focuses on the development of efficient methods in statistical genetics (haplotyping, whole genome association mapping, genomic breeding value estimation) and the design of efficient genomic selection schemes.