Chair’s Corner

Again let me use this space to bring you up to date on the Canadian Animal Genetic Resource Program (CAGRP). The establishment of this program has been the primary objective of the Directors for of the Canadian Farm Animal Genetic Resources Foundation for a number of years. As I have said in this space over the last few issues of the Gene Scene, great progress has been made. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) have established the CAGRP and located it in Saskatoon in conjunction with the Faculties of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. I am pleased to be able to report that steady progress is continuing with respect to bringing the CAGRP on stream.

The staffing for three professional positions is well underway:

1. Gamete/embryo biologist position
2. Cryobiologist position
3. Genetic diversity position

In addition, funding for a postdoctoral position to work on avian cryobiology has been secured. This position will be located at Agassiz and the incumbent will work with Dr. Fred Silversides at the AAFC research Station in Agassiz.

One technician is already in place. To date this individual has been focusing on developing an inventory of cryo-preserved semen and embryo samples at the University of Saskatchewan.

As the hiring of professionals is completed the CAGRP will move forward in conjunction with the University of Saskatchewan to develop the details for its scientific program.

The Memorandum of Understanding and the lease agreement between AAFC and the University of Saskatchewan are nearing completion.

I take this opportunity to say thank you to both the individuals at the University of Saskatchewan and AAFC who have worked so hard to bring to fruition Canada’s own program for the conservation of farm animal genetic resources.

Roger Buckland
Chair

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Breeds of Livestock
Two Positions Announced For Saskatchewan
Crop Genetic Resources: An Economic Appraisal
Meat And Milk From Cloned Animals
Quebec Poultry Research Centre
Transgenic Cows Resist Mastitis-Causing Bacteria
Taking Stock

BREEDS OF LIVESTOCK

Oklahoma State University’s Department of Animal Science has a resource website intended as an educational and information source on breeds of livestock throughout the world. It defines “what is a breed”, why the need to be concerned about preserving information about minor, or relatively unknown breeds of livestock, why do we need livestock at all, and specific information on goats, sheep, swine, horses cattle and other species.

TWO POSITIONS ANNOUNCED FOR SASKATOON

The Foundation is pleased to see two new positions being announced for Saskatoon

The Canadian Animal Genetic Resource Program at the University of Saskatchewan has two new positions, one a Research Scientist with expertise in gamete and embryo biology, and the other, a Research Scientist with expertise in cryobiology in reproductive biology. Successful applicants will develop new and improved applications of gamete/embryo technologies and cryopreservation of gametes and embryos in domestic, food-producing animals and poultry and give scientific and technical advice to scientists, industry representatives, conservationists and other clients of the Animal Genetic Resource Program. Major responsibilities are research and scholarly work, service to the livestock industry and development of an active research program in gamete/embryo biology and cryobiology.

The successful candidates will be expected to keep current with new knowledge in gamete/embryo physiology, reproductive biology, animal physiology and cryobiology and show a willingness to participate in undergraduate and graduate student development including participation on and chairing graduate thesis committees. The successful candidates will join an active research program and will be expected to show a willingness to participate in collaborative research with a team composed of geneticists and reproductive biologists from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, western College of Veterinary Medicine and the College of Agriculture (University of Saskatchewan). Duties will include supervising and advising staff in the Animal Genetic Resources Program in the proper handling of animal/poultry germplasm and communicating with scientists and the public nationally and internationally to identify and serve their needs in animal genetic resources. Successful candidates will be expected to write scientific and other publications, and develop research proposals for extra-mural funding.

Additional information on these two positions can be obtained by contacting Dr. Ken Richards at 306-956-7641 or richardsk@agr.gc.ca or by contacting Dr. Reuben Mapletoft at 306-966-7149 or reuben.mapletoft@usask.ca. Applications must be completed on the Public Service Commission of Canada website. In May, it was indicated that the embryologist position is currently being advertised on the website and the cryobiologist position will be advertised in the near future.

CROP GENETIC RESOURCES: AN ECONOMIC APPRAISAL

Crop genetic resources are a basis of agricultural production. However, crop genetic resources are largely public goods, so private incentives for genetic resource conservation may fall short of achieving public objectives. Within the Unites States germplasm system, certain crop collections lack sufficient diversity to reduce vulnerability to pests and diseases. This report examines the role of genetic resources, genetic diversity, and efforts to value genetic resources. The complete report can be found at www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/eib2/.

Note: A similar report would be valuable for the livestock and poultry sectors.

MEAT AND MILK FROM CLONED ANIMALS

Meat and milk from cloned animals is essentially identical to that of animals reproducing normally, a new study says.

The findings should ease safety concerns by both the public and regulators about eating cloned animals, said research Xiangxhong Yang of the Centre for Regenerative Biology at the University of Connecticut. Cloning, the creation of an animal from DNA of a single parent should produce an animal identical to that parent. “All parameters examined for the clones in this study were within the normal range of beef and dairy products approved for human consumption”. The researchers from Connecticut and the Kagoshima Prefectural Cattle Breeding Institute in Japan analyzed milk for a variety of factors including protein, fat, lactose, and solids and studied more than 100 components in the beef, concluding that both were within the range of standards for milk and meat now consumed.

As usual, special interest groups including the Consumer Federation of America questioned whether the researchers, who specialize in reproductive biology, were a truly disinterested source of information.

QUEBEC POULTRY RESEARCH CENTRE

The Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences of McGill University in Ste-Anne-de Bellevue began construction of its new Centre for Poultry Research in September 2003. The facility is now completed with some of the equipment and birds in place. The Centre is named “The Donald McQueen Shaver Poultry Complex” in recognition of Dr Shaver’s lifelong contribution to the Canadian and world poultry industry and his long involvement with McGill University. This poultry facility is part of the R.Howard Webster Centre for Teaching and Research in Animal and Poultry Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Macdonald Campus of McGill University. The official inauguration was held on May 26, 2005.

TRANSGENIC COWS RESIST MASTITIS-CAUSING BACTERIA

United States Department of Agriculture researchers have used gene-transfer technologies to produce dairy cows that resist a wide spread bacterial infection call mastitis. This research is an important first step in understanding how genes can be used to protect animals from disease according to Dr Edward Knipling, administrator of the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. This scientific discovery demonstrates the potential of biotechnology for developing cattle with resistance to mastitis. Currently, vaccines, antibiotics and a cow’s own immune system cannot effectively fight the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, a major cause of mastitis.

A scientific team at Beltsville, Maryland, built a transgene- genetic material produced using recombinant DNA technology- that includes the genetic code for producing a naturally occurring, antimicrobial protein called lysostaphin. While all milk contains several naturally occurring antimicrobial proteins, such as lysozome and lactoferrin, none of the milk produced by the tree cows in this research effort will be consumed. Use of milk containing lysostaphin would require federal regulatory approval after rigorous food safety testing. This effort is at the early stages of research and development.

International Research Effort to Map Sheep Genome

An international research effort, funded by USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) and others, will begin activities that will lay the foundation for mapping the sheep genome. The International Sheep Genome Sequencing Consortium expects to complete an initial map by March 31, 2006.

“Mapping the sheep genome will lead to advances in food and fibre production and identification of important traits in animal health and disease resistance,” said Undersecretary, Research, Education and Economics Dr. Joseph Jen. “International collaborations like these are vital for promoting worldwide use and understanding of important scientific information.” Due to the similarities between livestock genomes with those of humans, economically important sheep genes and traits will be more easily identified. The beef genome sequencing effort currently underway, also supported by an international consortium, will provide a comparison of the sheep physical map and will be extremely important in identifying and positioning genes on the sheep map.

President Bush has proposed in his fiscal year 2006 budget to advance cutting edge agricultural research in genomics by funding the National Research Initiative at $250 million, an increase of 40% over 2005. (Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service USDA)

Taking Stock

• Canada is the world’s second-largest country, but utilizes only 6.8 percent of its landmass for agriculture. Primary agriculture employs three percent of the population, and contributes an equal amount to the gross domestic product.
  
• Unique farm breeds to Canada include the Canadienne cow, the Canadien horse (both bred from stock imported from France in the 1600’s) and the Newfoundland pony, the product of stock introduced from the British Isles and today protected by that province’s Heritage Animals Act. The Sable Island horse originated from introduction around 1760 and is now feral and protected off Nova Scotia.
  
• Canada has nearly 250,000 farms, 57 percent of which have livestock. Major agricultural areas of B.C. include the Fraser Valley, the Okanagan, and southern Vancouver Island. Forty-five percent of the province’s agriculture income is from farm animals.
  
• About 40 beef breeds are recognized in Canada, but just four, Angus, Hereford, Charolais, and Simmental- occupy 90 percent of the market. Seven swine breeds are registered in Canada, but Yorkshire, Duroc, and Landrace occupy 99 percent of the market.
  
• Rare breeds Canada- www.rarebreedscanada.ca-is a non-governmental organization dedicated to the conservation of endangered breeds of farm animals. The Canadian Farm Animal Genetic Resources Foundation-www.cfagrf.com- is a key player involved in promoting genetic diversity in livestock.
  
  (Compiled by Larry Pynn from Canada’s Country Report)

• supports the application of research to develop long-term conservation and use of animal genetic resources.
• encourages Government activity in the field of farm animal genetic resource conservation using all existing and future technologies.
• disseminates educational material to enhance the knowledge and appreciation of the importance of farm animal genetic resources to our future needs.
• institutes emergency response efforts to preserve endangered genetic resources where possible.
• supports Canada’s contribution to the United Nations, Food and Agriculture Organization efforts on genetic conservation.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
(March 1st, 2005)

Chair
Dr. Roger Buckland, Professor Emeritus, Department of Animal Science,McGill University,
Macdonald College, 21,111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec H9X 3V9
Tel. 450 451 2240 F 514-398-7964
E-mail roger.buckland@mcgill.ca
Address: 98 Chemin de L'Anse, Rigaud, QC. J0P 1P0, Canada

Honourary Chair
Dr. Donald McQueen Shaver, Suite 901, 20 Berkley Road, Cambridge, Ontario N1S 4S8
T 519-623-4920 F 519-621-0984

Vice-Chair
Dr. Peter Hunton, RR #4 West River Road, Cambridge, Ontario N1R 5S5
T 519-622-3714
E-mail phunton@sympatico.ca

Directors:
Dr. Kim Cheng, University of British Columbia, 2708 West 30th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia V6L 1Y9
T 604-822-2480 F 604-822-4400
E-mail kmtc@interchange.ubc.ca

Dr. Wilhelm ‘’Bill’’ Guenter, University of Manitoba, Department of Animal Science, Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3T 2N2
T 204-474-9334 F 204-474-7628
E-mail wguenter@cc.umanitoba.ca

Mr. Dick Huggard, 59 Shannon Drive, Truro, Nova Scotia B2N 3V7
T 902-895-5905 F 902-895-4460
E-mail rhuggard@sympatico.ca

Mr. Doug Blair, 3628-4th Street SW, Calgary, Alberta T2S 1Y2 T 403-287-9048 F 403-287-9356
E-mail dgblair@shaw.ca

Dr. Don Wilson, Director, Bayer Health Care, Animal Health Division, 77 Belfield Road, Toronto, Ontario M9W 1G6
T 416-248-0771 F 416-614-1058
E-mail don.wilson.b@bayer.com

Mr. Ted Lawrence, President, Rare Breeds Canada, 221 Clarence St., Ottawa, Ontario K1N 5P9
T 613-789-1081 E-mail ted@storm.ca

Mr. Mike Nowosad, Canadian 4-H Council, Central Experimental Farm, 930 Carling Avenue, Building 26, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0C6
T 613-234-4448 Ext. 22 F 613-234-1112
E-mail mnowosad@4-h-canada.ca

Dr. Pramod K. Mathur, Canadian Centre for Swine Improvement, Central Experimental Farm, Building 54, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0C6 T 613-233-8872 F 613-233-8903 E-mail pramod@ccsi.ca

Mr. Hans Vink, Dairy Farmers of Canada, R.R. 2, Norwood, Ontario K0L 2V0
T 705-696-2169 F 705-696-1427
E-mail vinkfarms@heydon.com

Dr. Ed Lister, Director Emeritus, 6929 Lakes Park Drive, Greeley, Ontario K4P 1M6
T 613-821-6068
E-mail elister@rogers.com

Dr. Jacques Chesnais, 20B Gervin St., Nepean, Ontario
K2G 0J8
T 613-226-3965 F 613-225-8261
E-mail jpchesnais@rogers.com

Dr. Steven Moore, Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Studies, University of Alberta,
4-10 Agriculture Forestry Centre, Edmonton, Alberta
T6G 2P5
T 780-492-0169 F 780-492-4265
E-mail stephen.moore@afns.ualberta.ca

Mr. Jim Dalrymple, P.Ag. CAC - Executive Vice-President
P.O. Box 3027, Brighton, Ontario K0K 1H0
T 613-475-2701 F 613-475-3902
E-mail ded@reach.net

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