Research topics and focus

As the name of the division expresses, we are concerned with the genetics and improvement of functional traits. These are characteristics that must exist in order for an animal to perform properly. Typical functional traits are e.g. fertility, health, behavior or resource efficiency traits. They have a high relevance in terms of animal welfare, economy and social acceptance of livestock production. Relevant questions are currently being dealt with primarily inpoultry and pigs, but horses and cattle are also the subject of genetic research in the divsion. Beyond that we are conducting research in aquaculture species, mainly in the context of adaptation.

Chicken research

• Identification and functional characterization of genes influencing feather pecking in chicken
• Dissection of the molecular mechanisms leading to amyloid arthropathy in chickens

Fish research

• Sustainable Trout Aquaculture Intensification (SusTAIn)
• The effect of Spirulina platensis on growth, product quality, gene expression, and the microbiome in different commercially used fish species

Pig research

• Identification of genetic variants associated with production traits in a pig F2 design
• Select4Milk
• Influence of litter size on birth weight and performance in offspring from different sire lines

Other research topics

• QTCC: From Quantitative Trait Correlation to Causation in dairy cattle
• Genomic selection in horses
• Molecular genetic characterization of a buck-ewe hybrid (geep), its parents and offspring