Advances in poultry genetics and genomics

This collection begins by reviewing current challenges facing poultry breeding. It goes on to review recent research on the genetics of key production and functional traits. The book then summarises key advances in genomic selection techniques and concludes by surveying emerging trends such as the use of epigenetics and genome editing in poultry breeding.

“This book represents the state of the art in poultry genetics and genomics, written by world experts in the field. This is a rapidly changing field, so it is timely to have a reference work for the poultry industry, poultry scientists and students, and government and other research organisations. Congratulations to everyone for a timely review on such an important subject.”
Professor David W. Burt, Director of UQ Genomics, University of Queensland, Australia and Honorary Chair in Comparative Genomics, University of Edinburgh, UK

The poultry breeding sector faces a number of challenges, including the need to produce more resilient breeds in the face of disease, antibiotic resistance, increasing consumer concerns about bird health and welfare and expectations of meat and egg quality.

Advances in poultry genetics and genomics provides a comprehensive review of the recent developments in poultry genetics, breeding and genomics, focussing on the improvement of functional traits to build resilience, the use of genomic selection and its application in breeding improved layers and broilers, as well as the sector’s emerging trends such as epigenetics and genome editing.

With its distinguished editor team and international range of expert contributors, Advances in poultry genetics and genomics will be a standard reference for poultry scientists, companies involved in poultry breeding and government agencies supporting the poultry sector.

Dr Samuel E. Aggrey is a Richard B. Russell Professor of Genetics, NutriGenomics and Bioinformatics at the University of Georgia, with an international reputation for his work on the genetics of feed utilization efficiency and genome selection in poultry.

Dr Huaijun Zhou is Professor of Immunogenetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics in the Department of Animal Science at the University of California-Davis and Director of the USAID Feed the Future Lab for Genomics to Improve Poultry which focuses on improving poultry resistance to a range of biotic and abiotic stresses.

Dr Michèle Tixier-Boichard is a Senior Scientist at the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) and is internationally known for her research on the genetics of egg production traits and poultry genetic diversity.

Dr Douglas D. Rhoads is University Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and Director of the graduate program in Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Arkansas and a leading researcher in the genetics and genomics of poultry diseases.