Program Area

The sustainable use of biological resources is both under energy as well as matter aspects a prime challenge for the future in FBN’s research field. New strategies become mandatory in order to meet the demand for high quality animal borne protein and the assurance of state of the art production conditions with regards to animal welfare, environmental issues as well as food safety standards.

For this, in depth knowledge of trait complexes and biological processes which are related to the phenomenon of domestication are of high relevance. Strategic research at FBN aims towards preserving the potential arisen during the process of domestication. This man-induced biological diversity is considered to be the key to cope with altered production necessities, be they of local (i.e. keeping systems), regional (i.e. economic settings) or global (i.e. climate change) relevance.

A high biodiversity of livestock is essential for designing innovative breeding strategies able to meet the multitude of novel requisites. Functional genomic aspects of biodiversity are just beginning to play a role in developing breeds further. Taking the natural history of domestication into account, it is very likely that more often than not different populations have developed various strategies to overcome similar problems. From mapping experiments it is known, that for instance relevant genes for genetic defects or disease tolerance can be found at different loci depending on the breed or population examined. Such knowledge may be applied “tailor-made” for adaptation processes.

Following the 1992 „Convention on Biological Diversity“ signed in Rio de Janeiro, global efforts have been undertaken to establish the inventory of livestock’s biodiversity. Today powerful methods for genomic and proteomic analyses are at hand. This constitutes the basis to develop efficient strategies to discover functional biodiversity, understand its genetic-physiological fundaments and integrate those results for innovative intelligent breeding strategies.

Vitality traits such as high fertility and animal health are a prerequisite for successful breeding. Under the influence of man phenotypes and behavioural patterns have changed tremendously resulting in reaching sexuality earlier in life an producing more offspring.

New adaptations are mandatory in lieu of recently changed keeping and production conditions. Even more alterations are due to come such as automated keeping systems with enriched environments for higher welfare standards. Climatic change will require livestock adapted to heat stress and locally varying new rainfall patterns.