Unique population designs used to address molecular genetics questions in poultry

Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011-3150, USA. sjlamont@iastate.edu

The ability to answer some of the questions of fundamental interest in functional genetics depends upon the utilization of appropriate and sometimes quite novel population designs. We will explore examples of how unique population designs of varied complexity can be used to explore questions, such as the following. What is the number of genes controlling different biological traits? Can streamlined genetics at the whole-animal level help to dissect complex genetic traits? Are there beneficial alleles "hiding" in undeveloped lines? To what extent is the expression of a specific gene modified by interactions with other genes in the population? Unique genetic resources, combined with novel experimental designs and contemporary analytical techniques, provide exceptional opportunities to explore both fundamental and practical questions in biological sciences.

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