THE U.S. IS ONE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST PRODUCERS AND EXPORTERS OF POULTRY MEAT. THE CHICKEN GENOME ASSEMBLY IS AT THE STAGE WHERE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN ANNOTATION WOULD ENABLE INVESTIGATORS TO BETTER UTILIZE GENOMIC INFORMATION TO IMPROVE PRODUCTION TRAITS. THIS PROJECT IS TO EFFICIENTLY GENERATE A RESOURCE OF EPIGENOMIC DATA FOR ANNOTATION OF FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS IN THE CHICKEN GENOME AND ENHANCE OUR KNOWLEDGE OF REGULATION OF GENES ASSOCIATED WITH ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT TRAITS SUCH AS IMMUNE FUNCTION, FEED EFFICIENCY, EGG PRODUCTION, QUALITY, DISEASE RESISTANCE. THE EXPECTED RESULTS WILL PROVIDE ENHANCED BIOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING OF KEY GENOME ELEMENTS THAT ARE POTENTIALLY ASSOCIATED WITH IMPORTANT AGRONOMIC TRAITS THAT WILL TRANSLATE INTO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS FOR U.S. POULTRY PRODUCERS AND INDUSTRY.

University Of California, Davis

Investigators