LOGAN – A group of animal scientists charged with building a network to make knowledge and resources available to researchers seeking to improve livestock breeding, is starting with a $3.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Leading this new research collaboration network is Professor Noelle Cockett, a Utah State University animal geneticist.
Cockett, who was part of the international effort in the early 2000s to sequence the sheep genome, said newer tools are boosting the accuracy of understanding genetics. She said AI tools can rapidly scan large databases to help identify regions of a genome related to a specific desirable trait.
Cockett said she has faced with ethical questions in her own research. She said she never created a genetic variation in her lab, although it occurred naturally on a farm and was passed on through generations.
Cockett and the team of program co-directors at 10 land-grant universities believe it is possible to help unlock new insights into the genetics of key agricultural animals.