Weatherby’s leading DNA revolution

Advances in technology mean testing for a number of key genes can now be undertaken and there are also opportunities to enhance the reliability of estimated breeding values.

Weatherbys leads the field in DNA

Industry leading laboratory service provider, Weatherbys Scientific, provides a range of multi-species tests to an international client base and has, in recent years, become a worldwide centre of excellence in animal genotyping, particularly in the ruminant sector and has conducted more than 2.5m cattle DNA tests to-date, says the company’s Romy

Morrin O’Donnell.

Based in Ireland, the company’s premier laboratory uses cutting-edge technology to provide solutions and services such as parentage verification, parent allocation, genetic disease, single gene trait testing of economic interest, breed composition and traceability.

“Having begun parentage testing thoroughbred horses using blood typing technology in 1985, in 2000 the company moved across to parentage testing using Microsatellite DNA markers and then started offering parentage testing services for other species – bovine, ovine, canine, porcine and caprine.

“As the level of scientific expertise developed within the business, so too did the suite of DNA based services offered and in 2010 we commenced genotyping cattle using SNP technology. The team quickly developed a reputation for service and versatility and genotyped cattle using the Illumina 7K low density SNP chip in 2012,” she explains.

Moving forward, in 2018 Weatherbys Scientific launched its customised bovine 50K SNP array, Weatherbys Scientific Bovine Versa SNP50K chip and in 2019 Weatherbys Scientific collaborated with Illumina to validate and release the new Illumina OvineSNP50 Genotyping Bead Chip v3, says Ms Morrin O’Donnell.

“The company also has a division in the southern hemisphere, launching Weatherbys Scientific Australia in 2018, servicing bovine and ovine customers in Australia, New Zealand and across the Asia-Pacific region.”

Benefits of DNA testing services:

Parentage verification through DNA testing underpins the integrity of pedigree herd books, with DNA testing also providing the opportunity to resolve incorrect pedigrees using parent discovery, she explains.

“With cutting-edge technology now available at Weatherbys Scientific, including; genetic disease testing such as TH and single gene tests for instance, polled/horned and myostatin, DNA testing can provide breeders with decision making tools for handling their breeding decisions to enable efficient, cost effective and animal welfare management practices.”

Genomics

Livestock science has made huge strides in accelerating genetic improvement for production and replacement traits using genomic selection.

“This is due to the uptake of DNA testing using 50,000 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) markers (pronounced snip’s) by using the addition of an individual animal’s SNP DNA profile to enhance the reliability of estimated breeding values (EBVs) which are traditionally calculated from pedigree and parental performance data. This technology also presents the opportunity to breed more climate friendly animals by selecting breeding stock which produce lower levels of green-house gases (GHG).

“These same SNP markers also offer the ability to scientifically evaluate the breed composition of an animal by comparing its SNP profile to a known reference set of different pedigree breeds.

“This has added value for breeders and producers by providing DNA back-up for quality assurance of the product they supply to retailers and consumers. This technology also offers the option to trace the origin of an animal by product back to the farm it was produced on, offering “paddock to plate” or “farm to fork” traceability,” says Ms Morrin-O’Donnell. 50,000 SNP Chip (Weatherbys Scientific Bovine VersaSNP50K) Benefits of SNP DNA testing services

Parentage Verification Integrity of Pedigree Registration

Parent Discovery (sire discovery without dam)

Genes of economic interest

Genetic Diseases

Genomic Evaluations Integrity of Pedigree Registration

Myostatin – e.g save vet bills by reducing difficult calvings

Managed Breeding- e.g avoid detrimental genes such as Tibial Hemimelia (TH)

Early decisions on replacements/animals for sale-Herd improvement

Breed Composition Market Quality assurance

Traceability Food integrity (Farm to Fork)

Through SNP data Weatherbys Scientific can predict a calf’s sire.

Sire verification provides assurance of accuracy within the breed’s herd book, giving buyers increased confidence in the breed.