About the BioITGenoSelect project

BioITGenoSelect is an acronym for the multidisciplinary project named
“A BIOINFORMATICS APPROACH TO DAIRY CATTLE BREEDING USING GENOMIC SELECTION”
which is financed by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia, as part of the PROMIS programme.

Project Nr.: 6066512

The project started 22th July, 2020 and lasts until 21th July, 2022.

The project budget is: € 169,769.96

Three institutions participate in the project, represented with six researchers:

• • Dr. Ljuba Štrbac, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad – Principal Investigator
  • M.Sc. Momčilo Šaran, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad
  • Dr. Mirko Ivković, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad
  • Dr. Nebojša Dedović, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad
  • Dr. Doni Pracner, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad
  • Dr. Laslo Tarjan, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad

The aim is primarily to improve the livestock production through genetic improvement.

Advanced knowledge in genomics, development of appropriate tools and characterization of new biological properties opens the way towards more sustainable breeding schemes.

The main objectives foreseen in the project proposal are:

1. 1. forming a database of the pedigree information and the production results of dairy cattle;
   2. genotyping of animals to start forming a reference population of dairy cattle in Serbia;
   3. developing software tools to facilitate the manipulation of this data;
   4. developing appropriate statistical models and calculating genomic breeding values;
   5. educating breeders and experts in breeding organizations to interpret different sources of information.

The practical importance

• The expected results could be directly transferable to the production sectors bringing advantages for all chain:
  • From the institution of a centralized database that serves breeders and breeding organizations to the educating breeders and experts in breeding organizations.
  • More economical milk production:
    • Genomic selection allows breeders to identify genetically superior animals at a much earlier age.
    • Increase in milk production, milk quality (milk protein and milk fat).

The scientific importance

• Modern software and methodologies will be used to evaluate breeding values.
• Creation of a database will provide the basic preconditions for the analysis of economically important traits in dairy cattle breeding according to internationally recognized methodologies.

Project sponsored by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia, part of the PROMIS programme.