USDA, Aviagen, Hendrix Genetics, and Affymetrix Launch Axiom® Turkey Genotyping Array for Improved Breeding Outcome
November 19 2015 - 6:30AM
Business Wire
Affymetrix, Inc. (NASDAQ: AFFX) introduces Axiom® Turkey
Genotyping Array, developed in collaboration with the United States
Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service
(USDA-ARS) along with Aviagen and Hendrix Genetics. The array will
help breeders better understand the genetics of turkeys in order to
improve meat characteristics and health. It will enable scientists
and breeders to quickly evaluate genetic markers that can be
associated with improved traits such as health outcome and
fertility. The genotyping array will also help the industry
sustainably address the growing demands of consumers by reducing
feed consumption and environmental footprint. Over 45 million
turkeys will be served on Thanksgiving Day this year in the United
States. This array is expected to help improve turkey populations
broadly in the next few years.
The array development was led by Dr. Julie Long of the USDA-ARS
Beltsville Agricultural Research Center under a public-private
partnership with Hendrix Genetics, Aviagen, and Affymetrix. The
Turkey Genome Sequencing Consortium led the efforts to sequence the
turkey genome. The SNP marker discovery effort was led by Prof.
Martien Groenen of the Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre at
Wageningen University in the Netherlands, and was funded by USDA’s
National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The SNP markers on the
turkey array were selected by Dr. Curt Van Tassell of the USDA-ARS
Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. The commercial launch of
the array by Affymetrix allows the entire avian and animal genetics
community to benefit from the effort.
“The domestic turkey is an economically important source of meat
for consumers in the United States,” stated Dr. Julie Long of
USDA-ARS. “The research performed with this array will help advance
the understanding of genetics in turkey, especially for traits that
are difficult to predict such as disease resistance and fertility.
Understanding turkey genetics requires evaluating large numbers of
genetic markers with different sample types. We are excited about
the prospect of having this array available for both research and
enhancing genetic improvement of the domestic turkey.”
“Axiom Turkey Genotyping Array is a benefit to the global turkey
industry and provides many opportunities and avenues for future
research,” stated Dr. Alfons Koerhuis, chief technical officer for
the Aviagen Group. “Aviagen is pleased to be a part of making it
available for public use. This array is the latest output in a long
ongoing collaboration between Aviagen and Affymetrix, paving the
way for genomics selection research and implementation in Aviagen’s
breeding programs.”
“We are pleased to support the goals of the turkey and avian
research community to improve breeding stocks and address the
broader goals of public institutions and private breeders, such as
food security and disease resistance,” said Laurent Bellon, Ph.D.,
senior vice president and general manager, Genotyping Business Unit
at Affymetrix. Affymetrix is committed to meeting the avian
research and breeding community’s needs with advanced technologies
that are practical, easy to use, and cost-effective.”
To learn more about the Axiom genotyping platform, please visit
www.affymetrix.com/agrigenotyping for applications in
agrigenomics.
About USDA-ARS
The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the U.S. Department
of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency
responsible for developing and transferring solutions to
agricultural problems of high national priority. The ARS seeks to
find solutions to agricultural problems that affect Americans every
day, from the field to table.
The ARS mission is to conduct research to develop and transfer
solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority and
provide information access and dissemination to:
- ensure high-quality, safe food and
other agricultural products
- assess the nutritional needs of
Americans
- sustain a competitive agricultural
economy
- enhance the natural resource base and
the environment
- provide economic opportunities for
rural citizens, communities, and society as a whole
The ARS has about 800 research projects within 18 National
Programs, 2,200 scientists and post doctorates, 6,200 other
employees and 90+ research locations, including overseas
laboratories. ARS scientists frequently collaborate with research
partners from universities, companies, other organizations, and
other countries. In designing and organizing its research efforts,
ARS listens and responds to those with a stake in the outcome. The
ARS publishes AgResearch science magazine monthly in electronic
format.
More information is available at
http://www.ars.usda.gov/aboutus/aboutus.htm.
The magazine is available at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/.
About Affymetrix
Affymetrix technologies enable multiplex and simultaneous
analysis of biological systems at the cell, protein, and gene
level, facilitating the rapid translation of benchtop research into
clinical and routine use for human health and wellness. Affymetrix
provides leadership and support, partnering with customers in
pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and biotechnology companies, as well as
leading academic, government, and nonprofit research institutes in
their quest to use biology for a better world. More than 2,300
microarray systems have been shipped around the world and more than
94,000 peer-reviewed papers have been published citing Affymetrix
technologies. Affymetrix is headquartered in Santa Clara,
California, and has manufacturing facilities in Cleveland, San
Diego, Vienna, and Singapore. Affymetrix has about 1,100 employees
and maintains sales and distribution operations worldwide. For more
information about Affymetrix, please visit www.affymetrix.com
Forward-looking statements
All statements in this press release that are not historical are
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of
the Securities Exchange Act as amended, including statements
regarding Affymetrix' "expectations," "beliefs," "hopes,"
"intentions," "strategies," or the like. Such statements are
subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results
to differ materially for Affymetrix from those projected. These and
other risk factors are discussed in Affymetrix' Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2014, and other SEC reports for subsequent
quarterly periods.
PLEASE NOTE: Affymetrix, the Affymetrix logo, and Axiom
trademarks are the property of Affymetrix, Inc. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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