Postgraduate Course: Future Breeding and Genetics (VESC11278)
Course Outline
| School | Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies |
College | College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Online Distance Learning |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | This online postgraduate course covers state-of-the-art advances in animal and plant breeding, current technical, practical, and ethical considerations, and future pathways to implementation. This course is forward-looking and will explore new advances and applications brought about by new technologies, methods, and use of resources in breeding and genetics.
We will cover topics including challenges to sustainability, climate change and performance in changing environments, genotype-by-environment interactions, novel food and feed sources, and the use of state-of-the-art methodologies and techniques, including machine learning and gene editing in modern selective breeding. The course will give a broad overview of the use of these techniques to provide advanced solutions to modern and future challenges to sustainable food production and animal health and welfare.
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| Course description |
This online postgraduate course aims to explore the latest advances in the field of breeding and genetics, and consider novel technologies with and their potential uses to address emerging challenges such as climate change and sustainable protein production.
The course will develop the students' understanding of state-of-the-art methodologies that address key sustainability issues in breeding and food production, including genotype-by-environment interactions, disease control, and biodiversity management. The students will understand how alternative protein, raw materials, and fuel sources are be exploited to supplement traditional production and meet future demand, and the role of breeding and genetics in this.
Throughout the five weeks of this course new methodologies will be explored, to efficiently interrogate mega-scale genetic, genomic, and phenotypic data, and use machine learning and artificial intelligence to obtain novel digital phenotypes. Further, targeted genetic editing approaches and gene drive technologies will be discussed, alongside the ethical, legislative, and societal considerations.
The concepts will be introduced and explored in pre-recorded lectures and invited seminars, and in discussion boards. The course will raise the students' awareness of available technologies and their potential to address sustainability challenges.
The course will advance the students' skills to critically review emerging methodologies using scientific evidence, considering ethics and societal impacts. Practical applications will be demonstrated via case studies and real-world examples in all teaching material, alongside recommended readings, self-directed learning, and weekly online activities to enhance the students' effective communication skills.
Themes covered during this 5-week course will include:
*Environmental challenges*
Will examine genotype-by-environment interactions, including case studies from aquaculture and plants, and will discuss breeding using pedigree and genomic data to improve resilience to climate change and maintain biodiversity, alongside using new kinds of data such as digital phenotypes and phenomics.
*Breeding for disease control, epidemiological traits, and indirect genetic effects*
Will cover breeding for disease resistance and using epidemiological data and modelling to include new 'disease traits' in breeding, and to design more effective disease control strategies. Data analysis and modelling will be in R.
*Alternative sources of protein and fuel and raw material - aquaculture, insects and forests*
Will explore a wide range of alternative food, feed, fuel, and raw material sources, looking into production in less traditional systems where data-driven breeding has been or can be implemented, such as insects, seaweed, aquaculture, biofuel plants and forestry.
*New data and technologies*
Will cover applications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, gene editing and gene drives.
*Ethics relevant to future breeding*
Will discuss ethical issues around technologies and practicalities relevant to breeding and genetics.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate critical knowledge and understanding of challenges and applications of future breeding and genetics technologies in the Global North and South.
- Critically review, consolidate, and extend knowledge and thinking in relation to forefront issues in breeding and genetics.
- Effectively communicate using appropriate methods to specific audience(s) with different levels of knowledge and expertise in relation to animal/plant/insect breeding and genetics.
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Reading List
The reading list will be provided electronically via Resource Lists. Essential/recommended and further reading and resources that align with the weekly content and course topics will be made available through the University Resource List platform. Here is an example of potential resources to be included:
1. G Simm, G Pollott, R Mrode, R Houston, K Marshall. 2021. Genetic improvement of farmed animals. CABI.
2. Bishop, S. C. et al. Breeding for Disease Resistance in Farm Animals / Edited by S.C. Bishop [and Others]. Third revised edition. Wallingford: CABI Publishing, 2010. [https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/epdf/10.1079/9781845935559.0000]
3. S. Tsairidou, D. Robledo, R. D. Houston. 2021. Chapter 17: Selective breeding for improved resistance to sea lice in farmed salmonids, in 5m Book: Sea lice Biology
4. Tomberlin, J.K., et al. (2015). Protecting the environment through insect farming as a means to produce protein for use as livestock, poultry, and aquaculture feed. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed. [https://doi.org/10.3920/JIFF2015.0098] |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Enquiry and lifelong learning: The University of Edinburgh graduate seeks personal and academic learning in order to inform, guide, or make a positive difference to knowledge-creation, others or themselves. Inspired by their exposure to world-leading research and innovative practices, they continue their own journey of life-long learning.
Outlook and engagement: The University of Edinburgh graduate draws on quality, experiences, and expertise of others to engage with the global community in a manner that is respectful, ethical, and positive.
Personal and intellectual autonomy: graduates use their personal and intellectual autonomy to think independently, exercise personal judgement, and analyse facts and data in order to develop appropriate solutions. |
| Keywords | Selective breeding,biodiversity,gene editing,machine learning,AI,climate change,Big Challenges |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Smaragda Tsairidou
Tel: (0131 6)517112
Email: Smaragda.Tsairidou@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Gordon Littlejohn
Tel:
Email: Gordon.Littlejohn@ed.ac.uk |
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