About Animal Breeding and Genomics

To perform excellent animal breeding and genomics research and provide high-quality education to create knowledge that contributes to sustainable livestock and fish production in an international context – that is our mission.

Wageningen University & Research, Animal Breeding and Genomics (WUR-ABG) aims to perform innovative research in order to meet the future demand for safe and healthy food of animal origin, while reducing environmental impact by making use of better resources. How do we do this? By working together with national and international companies and scientific partners and with a keen eye for the demands and expectations of society.

Focus areas

Genetic
diversity

The aim is to better understand and preserve the genetic diversity within and between wild and domestic animal species and breeds, to develop methods and tools for sustainable breeding programs and genetic management of populations, and to develop and implement protocols for cryoconservation of animal species.

Genomic
predictions

The aim is to develop traditional and machine learning methods and tools for genomic prediction, to optimize designs of reference populations and genomic breeding programs, and to investigate long-term impact of genomic selection.

Sustainable
breeding tools

The aim is to explore collection of phenotypes, to evaluate designs of breeding programmes, and to develop big data approaches and other statistical methods that contribute to a more sustainable animal husbandry and that work towards a result that can be applied in practice.

International

The aim is to contribute to sustainable intensification of livestock production worldwide with expertise, research, education and capacity building. In particular, we focus on sustainability and resilience of livestock systems and their contribution to food security.

Unravelling DNA
and biology

The aim is to bridge the genotype-phenotype gap and to understand how genotypes result in phenotypes by making use of a wide variety of methods and tools like whole genome sequencing, DNA methylation, gene expression, microbiota and organoids.

Aqua
breeding

Information about this WUR-ABG focus group will follow soon

New laboratory
techniques

The aim is to optimize existing laboratory protocols and introduce and implement new laboratory techniques needed for all ABG focus groups to perform innovative scientific research.

Showcases

More examples that show the diversity and impact of our studies

Interested in a collaboration? We are eager to work with you! LMTE (Lucia) Kaal-Lansbergen

Contact form

Livestock genetics congress

We are organising the World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production (WCGALP) July 2022 in the Netherlands.

Collaborations

Genetic diversity

We also work in commission of the Dutch government to conserve the genetic diversity of species that are important for agriculture and forestry. We do this together with the Centre for Genetic Resources (CGN), the Netherlands.

Aquaculture

The complexity of challenges we face requires that we put more emphasis on multidisciplinary work, which is why Animal Breeding and Genomics is part of the cross-WUR Aquaculture, Research & Education programme (W-ARE).

Breed4Food

On breeding, we work together with Breed4Food. This is a consortium established by WUR and animal breeding companies CRV, Hendrix Genetics, Topigs Norsvin and Cobb Europe.