May 22, 2009
Meeting to Address Application of DNA Technology in Beef Cattle
LINCOLN, Neb. — The use of DNA technology in beef cattle will be addressed at a June 22 conference at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center.
Producers, extension personnel and others who attend the free meeting will learn about the history of DNA technology in beef production, its current status and where it is headed, said Matt Spangler, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension beef genetics specialist.
For example, DNA technology currently is used to test whether animals carry genetic defects, Spangler said. DNA also can be used to get a glimpse of an animal's genetic potential for growth – a technology that is still developing, he said.
Speakers at the meeting include Spangler; Darrh Bullock, extension beef genetics specialist at the University of Kentucky; Alison Van Eenennaam, animal genomics and biotechnology extension specialist at the University of California-Davis; John Pollak, National Beef Cattle Evaluation Consortium director at Cornell University; and Mark Thallman, research scientist at the Meat Animal Research Center.
Multistate collaborative research on the use of DNA technology in beef cattle will be discussed at the meeting, Spangler said.
The meeting will begin at noon with a lunch and end at 5 p.m. Attendees are asked to contact Spangler at (402) 472-6489 to RSVP for the lunch.
The meeting is collaboratively sponsored by UNL Extension, UC-Davis Extension, University of Kentucky Extension and the NBCEC.
5/22/09-LM Matt Spangler
Animal Science Assistant Professor (402) 472-6489
 
Lori McGinnis IANR News and Photography (402) 472-0918
Department:
Animal Science
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