Application of SNP chips in the estimation of breeding values in dairy cattle

This PhD project is realized by Kacper Żukowski
Supervisor Joanna Szyda

The profile of work

SNP microarray (SNP chip) is a glass slide containing thousands of DNA markers called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which are used to find relationships between DNA markers and traits of economic importance. Commercially accessible and most popular dairy cattle SNP chips include 54K SNP (more information about this SNP microarray).

At present there are no methods to implemented evaluate breeding value dairy cattle (so called genomic breeding value, GEBV), based on SNP microarrays data sets. The country which leads in whole genome studies towards GEBV witch is a part of MAS (Marker Assisted Selection) in dairy cattle is Australia, New Zealand, United States and Netherlands [Hayes et al.; 2009 Feb], but similar investigations are also led in the Canada and France.

The aim of project

To develop methodology and a packet of computer programs allowing for the estimation of GEBV from SNP chip.

Summary

The use of SNP microarrays in the evaluate of dairy cattle trait will allow to very early estimation traits defining breading value of bulls on the basis of whole genome studies. The worked out programme will allow to the considerable reduction of costs in the relation to applied at present methods of the evaluate value of dairy cattle.