Genome to Phenome: Improving Animal Health, Production, and Well-Being – A New USDA Blueprint for Animal Genome Research 2018–2027

TLDR

The USDA’s 2008–2017 “Blueprint for Agricultural Animal Genomics” set goals that have largely been met, but remaining objectives and emerging technologies still require further research. A workshop in November 2017 convened ARS, NIFA, and field scientists to draft an updated blueprint outlining new goals for the next decade. The new blueprint organizes goals into “Science to Practice,” “Discovery Science,” and “Infrastructure,” adding targets for microbiome characterization, gene‑editing biotechnologies, genetic diversity preservation, and updated genome‑research priorities, and details vision, current state, required research, deliverables, and partnerships. Achieving these goals is expected to markedly enhance the capacity to meet global animal‑product demands in the coming decade.

Abstract

In 2008, a consortium led by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) published the "Blueprint for USDA Efforts in Agricultural Animal Genomics 2008-2017," which served as a guiding document for research and funding in animal genomics. In the decade that followed, many of the goals set forth in the blueprint were accomplished. However, several other goals require further research. In addition, new topics not covered in the original blueprint, which are the result of emerging technologies, require exploration. To develop a new, updated blueprint, ARS and NIFA, along with scientists in the animal genomics field, convened a workshop titled "Genome to Phenome: A USDA Blueprint for Improving Animal Production" in November 2017, and these discussions were used to develop new goals for the next decade. Like the previous blueprint, these goals are grouped into the broad categories "Science to Practice," "Discovery Science," and "Infrastructure." New goals for characterizing the microbiome, enhancing the use of gene editing and other biotechnologies, and preserving genetic diversity are included in the new blueprint, along with updated goals within many genome research topics described in the previous blueprint. The updated blueprint that follows describes the vision, current state of the art, the research needed to advance the field, expected deliverables, and partnerships needed for each animal genomics research topic. Accomplishment of the goals described in the blueprint will significantly increase the ability to meet the demands for animal products by an increasing world population within the next decade.