US-AUSTRALIAN ACADEMIES JOINT WORKSHOP

US-AUSTRALIAN ACADEMIES JOINT WORKSHOP ON VERTEBRATE COMPARATIVE GENOMICS
Beckman Conference Centre, Irvine, California, 23-25 May 2007

A multi-species integrated comparative genomics approach for lactation biology
by Herman Raadsma

Professor Herman Raadsma is Director at the Centre for Advanced Technologies in Animal Genetics and Reproduction in the Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Sydney Australia. The Centre has a staffing profile of 75 Professorial, lecturing, research and technical staff and higher degree research students, with a focus on biotechnologies in livestock and companion animals. Professor Raadsma is also leader of the gene discovery programme in the Co-operative Research Centre for Innovative Dairy Products, with a scientific staff list of 65. Research interests include over 25 years experience in livestock genetics incorporating disease resistance, genomics, and biotechnology applications.

The Co-operative Research Centre for Innovative Dairy Products is a multi-institutional research consortium focusing on the development of new products for the Australian dairy industry using genomic and proteomic approaches. An integrated gene discovery platform has been built around a multi-species comparative strategy exploiting unique features of lactation biology in the cow, sheep, mouse, human, wallaby and seal. Further integration between gene mapping and functional genomics approaches within and across species has resulted in a unique and highly dynamic gene discovery pipeline. A sophisticated and stringent filtering system has been developed which reduces the large number of prospective candidate genes to a tightly defined cluster of genes evaluated in-silico, in-vitro and in-vivo for functional applications. Targeted gene products have been evaluated for disease diagnostics, novel bio-active molecules, biological control systems and gene markers for prediction of genetic merit. The programme represents an outstanding example of integrating state of the art genomics approaches across species and institutional boundaries to deliver outcomes for a major industry, and to add to a deeper understanding of critical biological systems. The platform, outcomes and examples will be presented at the meeting.

Contact details:
ReproGen- Centre for Advanced Technologies in Animal Genetics and Reproduction
Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney
PMB 3, CAMDEN NSW 2570

Tel: 61(0)2-9351 1603
Fax: 61(0)2-9351 1618
Email: raadsma@camden.usyd.edu.au