The sheep genome project

Australia and New Zealand research and funding agencies are joining hands across the Tasman for a major genomics project on the animal on which both nations' economies were founded -- the sheep.

The SheepGenomics project will trawl the sheep genome for key genes involved in meat and wool production, parasite resistance and mothering success -- a major productivity trait.

SheepGenomics is a major, joint initiative by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), Wool Innovation Australia (AWI), and New Zealand's leading livestock research agency, the Crown Research Institute Agresearch.

Nine major Australian research organisations will be involved, and there will be active collaborations with Utah State University, and the US Department of Agriculture, through the Institute of Genomic Research.

MLA and AWI have jointly appointed Dr Rob Forage as project director.

Forage said the project will have four sub-programs -- wool biology, host-parasite interactions, muscle energy utilisation, and reproduction. A core technology module will provide advanced genomics tools and services such as microarrays and bioinformatics as the sub-programs.

"SheepGeomics will involve the largest fine (gene) mapping project in the world," Forage said.

"The AWI's Faulkiner Memorial Field Station at Deniliquin has 4700 ewes, and they dropped 3500 lambs this year.

"We're collecting data on around 100 traits in every lamb for the next two seasons, so it will generate enormous amounts of data."

The wool genomics subprogram will look for genes that influence fibre diameter and fleece weight, and dark fibre contamination. Agresearch will have a major focus in this area.

The muscle sub-program will investigate genes involved in muscle production and meat quality, while the parasite program will look for genetic markers associated with resistance to internal parasites.

Australia has its Booroola multiple-birth gene, and New Zealand its Inverdale gene, but Forage said the reproduction sub-program will focus on genes that influence maternal behaviour and thus increase lamb survival.

Forage said that the genomics project will have a strong industry focus -- it will run until June, 2008, and there will be a major follow-up research program aimed at delivering the benefits of gene discovery to wool and fat lamb producers.