CORDIS provides links to public deliverables and publications of HORIZON projects.
Links to deliverables and publications from FP7 projects, as well as links to some specific result types such as dataset and software, are dynamically retrieved from OpenAIRE .
Exploitable results
The objective of this project is to demonstrate the benefits of evaluation of genetic diversity in the European pig considering both commercial populations and local breeds in order to enhance utilization and preservation for future generations. By utilizing the results of previous EC funded programmes, the project will ensure that European leadership is maintained in an area of rapid development. For pigs in particular, European breeders have a world lead and this demonstration will help to consolidate their position.
The benefits of bio-diversity to pig breeding have already been demonstrated. The prolificacy of the Chinese Meishan pig was such that the industry was prepared to conserve this breed despite its lack of overall economic value. The description of pig diversity at the DNA level will provide new opportunities for breeding by improving the utilization of locally adapted breeds. It is also felt that this will be perceived as a very positive use of molecular biology which will assist in the public acceptance of an important technology. A significant benefit of this project is the strong technology transfer element of the programme, as manifested by the databases set-up on Internet, and the workshops for transmission of the knowledge generated to a wide audience.
The emphasis in the project is on genetic diversity at the between-breed level. The FAO guideline for measuring domestic animal diversity will be followed. Diversity will be evaluated by sampling 50 individuals from about 60 different breeds in 16 different countries. Samples will be collected from a range of rare and endangered breeds, a swell as from line within common commercial lines. In addition, there European Wild Pig and the Chinese Meishan will also be considered.
New tools have recently been developed from genome studies. Variation at DNA level will be evaluated using 2 standard marker technologies:
- Simple Sequence Repeat (or microsatellites) uniformly distributed over the whole pig genome.
- Amplification of subsets of Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP).
For each technology, the result from individual typings will be compared to those obtained, at lower costs, on DNA pooled over breeds.
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