Introducing the New Multi-Species SNP Chip

This milestone represents extensive collaboration in our R&D team and demonstrates the power of a multi-species breeding center.

Investing in SNP data collection and analysis is crucial for our breeding program. By incorporating SNP information into our selection decisions, we achieve faster and more precise genetic improvements.

Previous to the development of this new chip, standard practice was to utilize one SNP chip per species. The team identified a potential solution that would improve efficiency, optimize resources, and enhance product performance: a multi-species SNP chip.

What is a SNP?

SNP stands for single nucleotide polymorphism. This is a genetic variation where a single nucleotide in the DNA sequence differs between individuals. These variations can impact phenotypic performance.

The implementation of the multispecies SNP chip creates greater efficiency and allows us to increase the number of genotypes for each species under the same budget. This directly relates to improved genetic gain in all our products. After the chip was developed it underwent extensive testing by our Global Genotyping Team to ensure reliability and high-quality results.

The development of this new SNP chip sparked further innovation with the implementation of a robot to manage the increased number of genotypes. This technology enhances automation, streamlining sample handling and DNA extraction.

This new technology has significantly impacted the turkey breeding program. With the new SNP chip, we have moved quickly from genotyping the top 30% of selection candidates to the top 70% of selection candidates. The increased number of genotypes has brought us an additional 2-4% genetic gain on different traits. It's especially important to note that the greatest additional gains are seen in low heritability traits such as livability, which were previously hard predict using only phenotypes and a limited number of genotypes.

In the future, we are looking forward to genotyping 100% selection candidates with a decreased associated cost. This will continuously improve our selection accuracy and genetic gain. It also improves the ability to capture more genetic variants, including harmful ones, by analyzing a wider range of genotypes from both high- and low-ranking selection candidates.

This achievement would not have been possible without the dedication and passion of our R&D group. We are excited to fully utilize this new technology and unlock its full potential to create more genetic progress in our products.