After a day and a half at the Plant and Animal Genome Conference (PAG), I'm more convinced than ever that Performagene•LIVESTOCK will expedite advances in livestock genetic science. We've had researchers from both livestock and crop applications come by our booth to ask about the Performagene•LIVESTOCK product and how they can use it in their studies. The most frequent comment we're hearing from attendees is that it is very difficult to get producers to comply with their research studies. This is often due to the high cost of having a veterinarian do a blood draw and the invasive nature of this type of collection.
Blood has typically been the preferred method for collecting DNA from livestock for research studies (compared to hair follicles or ear punches) due to the quality and quantity of DNA in the sample. Here at PAG, livestock and crop researchers have learned that Performagene•LIVESTOCK's nasal sample collection kit provides equal quality DNA to blood and sufficient quantity to run multiple assays while still providing the researcher with enough raw sample to bank for future projects. All this is achieved with a completely non-invasive DNA collection method. This is a first for the livestock industry.
Yesterday I presented DNA Genotek's poster titled: "High Yield, High Quality Genomic DNA From Cattle Nasal Samples Using Performagene•LIVESTOCK". The people attending this poster session were excited about the results we obtained from nasal samples compared to blood and tail hair. This poster shows that the Performagene•LIVESTOCK DNA collection method yields a high quantity and high quality of genomic DNA. This study reports that the purified DNA is suitable for any downstream application and that DNA collected from nasal samples performs the same as DNA from blood.
Finally, the day ended on a very positive note with Genome Alberta announcing that they will be allocating $5 million in competitive research grants for livestock genetic research. This is particularly exciting for us as the majority of livestock genetics experts recognize that as downstream applications become more complex, tail hair isn't sufficient to satisfy assay requirements. Performagene•LIVESTOCK is designed for just these types of applications as it offers decreased hands on time to process the sample and results in DNA of high quality suitable for all downstream applications.
It's been a great start to this conference and I'm looking forward to the rest of the day. Be sure to let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment.
At the 2010 Plant and Animal Genome Conference in San Diego, DNA Genotek officially launched our newest sample collection product called Performagene•LIVESTOCK. Performagene•LIVESTOCK, a simple and easy-to-use nasal collection device for cattle, sheep and swine, provides high quality and high quantity DNA that remains stable at ambient temperatures.
Most genetic products currently used in the livestock industry are designed for parentage testing but the opportunity for significant gains in productivity is accelerating research into breed improvements. DNA samples collected with Performagene•LIVESTOCK can be used to identify markers for applications such as parentage as well as genotyping livestock for economically important traits including disease resistance, milk production, marbling and feed efficiency. This research allows producers to make more informed breeding and management decisions.
Why Livestock Genetics?
The livestock industry is facing more challenges than ever before. This makes it critical for producers to focus on successful strategies for their business. The biggest benefit from livestock genetics will be the ability to leverage genetic information to select and breed animals of superior quality.
All genetic analysis starts with the collection of a DNA sample. While genetic breeding in livestock is advancing at a tremendous pace, advancements in sample collection methods were not. This is where Performagene•LIVESTOCK comes in. Just like we did with human DNA collection, we developed a product that makes DNA collection easy, effective and reliable. This simple and easy-to-use kit follows in the footsteps of Oragene•DNA and Oragene•ANIMAL and will change how people think about DNA collection in the livestock industry.
To see how easy the product is to use, take a look at this video.
How is Performagene•LIVESTOCK Different?
Previous DNA sample sources in the livestock industry such as semen, blood, hair follicles or ear tissue have been inconvenient for the producer to collect or difficult, unreliable and costly to process in the lab. The major difference with Performagene•LIVESTOCK is that it is an integrated collection device that not only makes the sample collection quicker and easier for the producer, but actually starts the sample preparation while it's being transported to the DNA testing lab. This provides the lab with a ready-to-process sample that is very easy to integrate into their automated systems. The product is designed to merge the sampling needs of the producer with the processing requirements at the lab in one economical product. This reduces the cost of the entire DNA testing process and enables high-throughput DNA testing of livestock. Performagene•LIVESTOCK provides a reliable, high quality, high quantity DNA sample that performs exceptionally well on commonly used assays for parentage and genotyping such as microsatellites, SNP genotyping and microarrays.
Reviews from Livestock Producers
A December 2009 survey of producers validated that while blood or hair follicles are currently being used for DNA sampling, producers are open to new methods that are easier, more reliable or more cost-effective. DNA Genotek's Performagene•LIVESTOCK is hitting the mark. After using the product, 94% of those surveyed indicated that ease-of-use was the number one benefit associated with DNA Genotek's Performagene•LIVESTOCK product. 82% found the collection process quicker compared to their current method. A resounding 94% of those surveyed stated they would switch to Performagene•LIVESTOCK for their DNA collection. We always work closely with those that we develop products for to ensure that we are satisfying real needs. This feedback is validation that we translated the challenges we heard from producers into the creation of a product that meets their requirements.
We Owe Special Thanks
Launching a new product into a new market is challenging. We feel we're off to a great start with Performagene•LIVESTOCK but we couldn't have done it without the help we received from so many people. In particular, we would like to thank the following people for their incredible contributions: Donnie, Rhonda and Bruce MacLeod from Orchard Gore Farms; Bruce Mann, Dale Kelly and team from Saskatchewan Research Council; as well as Douglas Hedley.
We will provide you with further information on this product and updates from the Plant and Animal Genome Conference later this week in The Genetic Link. In the meantime, let us know what you think about this new product by leaving a comment.