EU Research Projects
Over the last year, EFFAB is currently involved in 8 different European research projects, and is also working on new proposals under different calls.
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RUMIGEN
RUMIGEN aims to provide future breeding goals and programs, innovative genomic prediction methods and precision management tools to optimise long-term genetic improvement and maintenance of genetic diversity in ruminants.Towards these aims, RUMIGEN will ensure engagement of a variety of stakeholders to assess social perception of breeding objectives and related technologies in ruminants. It will define “rooms of acceptance” which will be implemented in sustainable breeding scenarios that will then be assessed through multi-actor panels. It will question trade-offs and pleiotropic effects through adaptation to environmental stressors such as heat stress in cosmopolitan and local dairy cattle breeds. In addition, RUMIGEN will answer questions on genome editing specificity and safety issues, assessing its potential to preserve genetic diversity and increase genetic gains.
GERONIMO
GEroNIMO will provide pig and chicken breeders with new knowledge and tools to promote innovative genome and epigenome-enabled selection methods for Efficient Livestock Production (ELP) traits such as feed efficiency and fertility for cosmopolitan and local breeds. The project will contribute to developing sustainable and welfare-friendly animal systems by improving knowledge of (epi)genome-to-phenome relationships, taking into account genetic and non-genetic mechanisms and epigenetic diversity. It will also evaluate the social acceptance of the use of genomic innovations in monogastric breeding, including related ethical and legal dimensions.
PIGWEB
The aims of PIGWEB are to strengthen the pig research community by providing and facilitating access to Research Infrastructures (RI), reinforce a culture of cooperation between the research community and industrial and societal stakeholders, and improve and integrate the services provided by the RI. This will contribute to develop innovative and ethical solutions for sustainable pig production systems. The consortium provides the technical and scientific skills on key disciplines essential to assess and develop pig production as an element in the sustainable development of food production.
GENE-SWitCH
GENE-SWitCH aims to deliver new underpinning knowledge on the functional genomes of two main monogastric farm species (pig and chicken) and to enable immediate translation to the pig and poultry sectors.GENE-SWitCH will contribute to the global FAANG effort considerably, demonstrate how functional annotation of genomes can foster the advancement of genomic selection for immediate benefit to the breeding industry, and produce cutting-edge research paving the way to new studies and strategies for sustainable productions.
Roadmap
The ROADMAP project fosters transitions for prudent and responsible antimicrobial use (AMU) in livestock farming by favouring a rethinking of antimicrobial decision-systems all along the food supply chain. With an interdisciplinary framework, ROADMAP analyses the socio-economic drivers of AMU, develops tailored strategies for change and proposes transition and impact scenarios in diverse farm animal production systems in Europe and low- and middle-income countries. It will therefore contribute to the fight against antimicrobial resistance by allowing cross-learning from diverse successful experiences, encouraging a harmonization of AMU reduction trends across Europe and thus favouring a global decrease of AMU in animal production.
HoloRuminant
HoloRuminant will expand our understanding of ruminant-associated microbiomes to fill knowledge gaps and develop tools for their interpretation. With its holistic multi-omics approach, the project will study the multiple interactions of the ruminant-associated microbiomes with the host animal in early life and throughout fundamental life events. The aim is to decipher the characteristics and functions of livestock microbial ecosystems from different body sites, their heritability and their influence on the host’s resistance to disease and environmental efficiency of production (e.g., efficiency, disease resistance and resilience to changing environmental conditions). HoloRuminant will provide highly innovative, standardized methodologies that will radically advance our understanding of the ruminant holobiont. This knowledge and the tools created will allow the use of microbiome-based diagnostics and solutions for improving ruminant sustainability.
AQUA-FAANG
AQUA-FAANG aims to understand the link between the genetic code and traits of commercial importance of the 6 most farmed fish species (Turbot, European Seabass, Gilthead Seabream, Atlantic Salmon Rainbow Trout and the Common Carp) better. It supports finfish aquaculture’s ongoing growth and sustainability by generating high-quality maps of fish genomes to elucidate information on the expression of biological traits, improving our understanding of the basis for fish health and new tools and approaches to enhance disease resistance. A white paper will be written to highlight how the AQUA-FAANG datasets can advance aquaculture.
EUROFAANG
By establishing EuroFAANG, the H2020 projects GEroNIMO, AQUA-FAANG, BovReg, GENE-SWitCH, Rumigen and HoloRuminant have formed a closer relationship to coordinate their objectives within Europe in association with the international FAANG initiative. EuroFAANG brings together a wide range of expertise in farmed animal biology and breeding, genomics, bioinformatics, modelling and open data, as well as multiple platforms for dissemination and outreach, with a common goal to discover links between genome and phenome (i.e. G2P) in the frame of the FAANG to Fork strategy.