Agri-food-tech Innovation Engine

State-of-the-art facilities supporting four Research Divisions:

• Genetics and Genomics: understanding how genes and genomes work, with a focus on the basic biology of complex traits and sustainable improvement of the productivity of livestock species.
• Functional Genetics and Development: acquiring fundamental knowledge of the development of animals from conception to adulthood and applying that knowledge to improve health, welfare and productivity.
• Infection and Immunity: understanding the mechanisms of host defence against infection, and translating this understanding into prevention and treatment of endemic and exotic viral and bacterial diseases.
• Division of Veterinary Clinical Sciences: One medicine - understanding disease processes in companion and farm animals and translating that understanding into improved therapies for both animal and human disease.

Strategic Programmes

Blueprint for healthy animals

Aim: to provide knowledge & tools to underpin the design & implementation of strategies to improve animal health & performance.

• Theme 1. Prediction of genes & regulatory elements in farm animal genomes.
• Theme 2. The function of genes & cellular phenotypes in animal systems.

Control of infectious diseases

Aim: to enhance the supply & safety of food by providing the knowledge required to detect, treat & prevent animal and zoonotic diseases:

• Theme 1. Genetic basis of host resistance.
• Theme 2. Pathogen diversity, host-specificity & virulence.
• Theme 3. Host-responses underlying immunity.

Improving animal production and welfare

Aim: to enhance the yield & quality of animals or their products while improving welfare, efficiency and sustainability:

• Theme 1. Genetic improvement of farmed animals.
• Theme 2. Complex phenotypes and genotype x environment interactions.