Source: UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA submitted to NRP
EDUCATING THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS IN ANIMAL GENOMICS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1016347
Grant No.
2019-38420-28977
Cumulative Award Amt.
$238,500.00
Proposal No.
2017-09449
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Nov 15, 2018
Project End Date
Nov 14, 2023
Grant Year
2019
Program Code
[KK]- National Needs Graduate Fellowships Program
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
G022 MCCARTY HALL
GAINESVILLE,FL 32611
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Exponential population growth, climate change and anticipated growth in per capita animal-source food consumption related to increasing income and urbanization represent major challenges in maintaining the food supply. Animal genomics should play a significant role in addressing these challenges by providing new solutions to sustainably increase productivity and efficiency. To fulfill this promise, a new generation of scientists familiar with genomic technologies and trained to integrate the tools of molecular and quantitative genetics, computational biology and statistics across major disciplines in animal science is needed. In this project we will develope a new Domestic Animal Genomics Interdisciplinary Concentration in the Animal Sciences to train pre-doctoral students in the National Targeted Expertise Shortage Area of Animal Production with emphasis on integrated fields of quantitative genetics, computational biology, animal breeding and statistics. We will recruit and train three Ph.D. Fellows in the Animal Science academic program. A core group of Animal Sciences faculties with highly successful and collaborative research programs will provide extensive and integrative mentoring and training for graduate students. Fellows from underrepresented groups will be intensively recruited using new and established strategies. The program has the advantage of not only preparing students to excel as geneticists but more importantly to have the depth of knowledge of animal production systems. This will ensure their research is focused on opportunities to improve agriculture. Emphasis will be placed on excellent research training including regular research meetings, student and faculty seminar series, internships with major organizations, Historically Black Colleges or other Universities.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
3033999108050%
3033999104050%
Knowledge Area
303 - Genetic Improvement of Animals;

Subject Of Investigation
3999 - Animal research, general;

Field Of Science
1040 - Molecular biology; 1080 - Genetics;
Goals / Objectives
This proposal describes development of a new Domestic Animal Genomics Interdisciplinary Concentration in the Animal Sciences to train pre-doctoral students in the National Targeted Expertise Shortage Area of Animal Production with emphasis on integrated fields of quantitative genetics, computational biology, animal breeding and statistics. A core group of Animal Sciences faculties with highly successful and collaborative research programs will provide extensive and integrative mentoring and training for graduate students. Fellows from underrepresented groups will be intensively recruited using new and established strategies. The program has the advantage of not only preparing students to excel as geneticists but more importantly to have the depth of knowledge of animal production systems. This will ensure their research is focused on opportunities to improve agriculture. Emphasis will be placed on excellent research training including regular research meetings, student and faculty seminar series, internships with major organizations, Historically Black Colleges or other Universities.
Project Methods
1. Recruitment and Selection of Fellows. Selection will be based on academic credentials, performance in undergraduate courses considered to be prerequisites for graduate work, letters of recommendation, and life experiences, including experiences that could reasonably be expected to contribute to successful completion of Ph.D. coursework, and to successful completion of multidisciplinary research designed to provide scientific methods and knowledge of animal genomics, computational biology and quantitative genetics in conducting research and solving needs of the animal industries.2. Advising, mentoring and monitoring of Fellows. Eligible applicants will be reviewed and selected candidates will be aligned with an advisor with closely related interests. The PIs and the outside evaluator will meet as a team with each Fellow and develop a plan of study within the first few weeks. A committee consisting of the PIs and an external evaluator will monitor the Fellows' progress. This committee will meet with each of the Fellows at the beginning of each semester to ensure that timely progress is being made and that any problems that do arise are dealt with quickly and effectively. The qualifying exam will be completed by the end of year 2 and is rigorous and comprehensive with a series of written exams over a two-week period followed by an oral exam.3. Experiential Learning Opportunities for Fellows.Graduate programs will be constructed to provide students with the opportunity to engage in a variety of activities to develop skills important to their professional success.3.1. Several special features of the programs will be used, including: 1) Weekly lab meetings: each faculty member has a weekly meeting with all undergraduate and graduate students working on different projects under their supervision. This is an excellent opportunity for students to present their projects and progress made in an informal setting, to learn to discuss their own research plans and to critically evaluate the work of their fellow students; 2) Several seminar programs: each discipline (Animal Breeding and Genetics, Nutrition, Reproduction and Physiology) has a weekly seminar. Students enrolled in the seminar are expected to critically review peer-reviewed articles and prepare written and oral reports followed by an open discussion of selected work; 3) Teaching Assistant opportunities: all graduate students are required to serve as teaching assistants for courses in line with their interests. The Fellows will be given the opportunity to teach in different courses, guide discussion sections and participate directly in classroom and lab instruction; 4) Fellows will be required to prepare and deliver extension presentations and present popular press articles during their program to practice dissemination of knowledge to industry stakeholders to develop the skills needed for effective science communication and technology transfer; 5) Written communication skills will be developed through preparation of abstracts for Symposiums and national meetings, preparation of manuscripts from student research activities for peer-reviewed publications, and involvement in grant proposal preparation; 6) A special feature is the opportunity to participate in joint research projects and/or to conduct part of their thesis research at USDA-MARC, USDA-ARS Beltsville, Seminole or Deseret Beef Ranch (students with interest in beef cattle genomics), or North Florida Holsteins for students with interest in dairy cattle. Each Fellow will elect to take a 3- to 6-month internship in these research groups, which will provide a top-quality, first-hand experience with applied animal genomics.4. Measuring Performance Outcomes. Fellows will have to demonstrate the ability to think critically and apply the scientific methods and knowledge of animal genetics, genomics, computational biology and statistics in conducting research and solving needs of the animal industries. This will include the possession of field, lab and computer skills for conducting research and the ability to plan, execute, and interpret experiments - including experimental design, analysis of data, and critical evaluation. Written comprehensive examinations are administered and evaluated by Graduate Committee members after the completion of the core requirements. The student and graduate committee may choose to integrate the oral qualifying exam with a thesis proposal seminar.Program performance will be assessed by comparing NNF Fellows to other UF students recruited in the same time frame. The evaluation will include: proportion of students recruited and graduated, average GRE scores of recruited students, expertise in core competency areas, publications produced from research program, student satisfaction, and employment success.Dissemination of Results from the Graduate Training Program. The NNF program will be promoted via the ANS website and will be acknowledged on all publications produced by Fellows. Press releases about the NNF program and activities of the students and faculty will be prepared and disseminated through different venues including individual PI's websites, ANS and AMCB Graduate Symposium, Newsletters and ANS website. Fellows will be expected to conduct publishable applied research and will be required to demonstrate an ability to evaluate and communicate scientific data in writing and in oral and visual presentations. The Fellows will be expected to participate in our professional associations including the American Society of Animal Science and the International Society for Animal Genetics both for learning and networking purposes. Candidates will be required to use the professional associations to present research results as selected papers, selected posters, or invited papers at several meetings of these associations. These papers and presentations will include acknowledgement of NNF program support. Fellows will attend scientific meetings and workshops sponsored by different regulatory agencies, public and private institutions, thus getting involved in discussions on global issues, policy-making processes, and trends pertaining to agricultural sciences.

Progress 11/15/18 to 11/14/23

Outputs
Target Audience:With all 3 Fellowships awarded, our efforts have turned from recruiting to advising. The 3 PhD students in the program have been the target audience Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two MS and PhD Interdisciplinary Concentrations in Domestic Animal Genomics were created and approved starting Spring 2022. Capitalization of the opportunities livestock genomics offers to society will require implementation of hands-on education programs grounded in sound scientific methods coupled with deep understanding of modern animal production systems to equip a new generation of students with critically needed knowledge and skills. Developing this expertise requires mastering quantitative genetics, computational and molecular biology, and statistics. Creation of a formal Domestic Animal Genomics Interdisciplinary Concentration in the Animal Sciences Department at the University of Florida will address the critical shortage by educating masters students with the skills required to excel in technologically advanced food and agricultural industries How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The National Needs Fellowship grant in Animal Genetics and Genomics aimed to advance research, education, and outreach in the field. The results obtained from this grant have been disseminated extensively to various communities of interest, fostering knowledge exchange and application. Scientific Publications: Findings from the research have been published in reputable scientific journals, ensuring accessibility to academic and research communities worldwide. Articles cover diverse aspects of animal genetics, genomics, and their implications on breeding, health, and agriculture. Conferences and Symposia: Graduate students have presented their work at national and international conferences, engaging with fellow experts, stakeholders, and industry professionals. These forums facilitate discussions, feedback, and collaboration opportunities. Community Outreach: Efforts have been made to disseminate findings to agricultural communities, farmers, and relevant industry stakeholders. This includes publications in agricultural magazines, extension programs, and workshops tailored to address practical applications and benefits. Online Platforms and Media: Leveraging digital platforms, the research outcomes have been shared via websites, blogs, and social media channels. This strategy aims to reach a wider audience and engage with the public interested in animal genetics and genomics. Impact: Enhanced understanding: Dissemination efforts have contributed to a broader understanding of animal genetics and genomics among diverse audiences. Practical application: Findings have been utilized in breeding programs, disease management, and livestock improvement strategies. Collaboration and partnerships: The dissemination has fostered collaborations between researchers, educators, industry experts, and agricultural communities, promoting continued innovation and progress. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This project allowed the development of a new Domestic Animal Genomics Interdisciplinary Concentration in the Animal Sciences to train pre-doctoral students in the National Targeted Expertise Shortage Area of Animal Production with emphasis on integrated fields of quantitative genetics, computational biology, animal breeding and statistics. A core group of Animal Sciences faculties with highly successful and collaborative research programs provided extensive andintegrative mentoring and training for graduate students. Fellows from underrepresented groups were intensively recruitedusing new and established strategies. The program had the advantage of not only preparing students to excel as geneticistsbut more importantly to have the depth of knowledge of animal production systems. This ensured their research was focusedon opportunities to improve agriculture. Emphasis was placed on excellent research training including regular researchmeetings, student and faculty seminar series, internships with major organizations, Historically Black Colleges or otherUniversities. Three PhD students are currently completing their program under this award. Lane Haimon • PhD student in Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology, since 2020; expected graduation is 2024. • Career goals are to obtain an extension-research position in academia • Research has focused on epigenetics of developmental programming of the preimplantation bovine embryo by choline • Currently, co-author of one paper in Journal of Dairy Science; three first-author papers are anticipated • Has participated in two beef cattle extension programs and served as an instructor for an undergraduate course • Presented her research from Florida at one seminar, one local symposium, and at three scientific meetings Barclay Powell Through the opportunity afforded by this NNF, we were able to recruit Barclay to join our group as a PhD candidate beginning in Fall 2019. Her first two semesters in the PhD track included course work in Ethics in Genetics, our very challenging Advanced Genetics course, Statistical Methids, Grant Writing and Genetic analysis in Livestock, as well as a survey Genomics and Bioinformatics course. Despite this load she has maintained an excellent GPA and led the fall and spring startle response behavior trials on the farm. Barclay participated in the fall Florida Genetics Symposium and in January the international Plant and Animal Genome Conference. She has just submitted as abstract for the by-invitation meeting of the Havemeyer Horse Genome Workshop in summer 2020. She has one manuscript in preparation from her current work, and one published from her undergraduate research work at FSU. Gabriel Zayas Started his PhD in Summer 2020, with a research focus on using genomic information to estimate heterosis and breed of origin in beef cattle. Lead and assist in multiple research projects in genetics and genomics in beef cattle.Utilized statistical methods to estimate the genomic breed composition of multibreed Angus-Brahman andBrangus cattle using commercial bovine SNP chips. Conducted genome-wide associations to identifyimportant genes associated with various production and thermotolerance traits. Developed statisticalmethods to identify runs of homozygosity, to determine signatures of selection and population structure inBrangus commercial cattle populations. Currently working on developing novel methods of estimatinggenomic heterosis. Gabriel won the 1st Place Flash Talk Competition, 8th Animals Sciences Graduate Symposium - 2022; 1st Place Oral Competition, 8th Animals Sciences Graduate Symposium 2023. He wasalso awarded the 2022 Plant & Genome XXIX Neal A. Jorgenson Genome Travel Grant and was an invited speaker at the inaugural PAG Australia.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Gabriel A. Zayas, E. E. Rodr�guez, K.M. Sarlo-Davila, A. N. Nunez, A.S. Hernandez, F. Rezende, and R.G. Mateescu. (Jan. 2022). Identification of Runs-of-Homozygosity Using a Breed of Origin Approach and Their Effects on Meat Traits in the Seminole Brangus Commercial Herd. Plant & Genome XXIX, San Diego, CA, Abstract ID: 45763 Gabriel A. Zayas, E. E. Rodr�guez, K.M. Sarlo-Davila, A. N. Nunez, A.S. Hernandez, F. Rezende, and R.G. Mateescu. (Jan. 2022). Identification of Runs-of-Homozygosity using a Breed of Origin approach and their Effects on Meat Traits in the Multibreed Angus-Brahman Herd. Plant & Genome XXIX, San Diego, CA, Abstract ID: PE0472 Gabriel A. Zayas, Eduardo E. Rodr�guez, Kaitlyn Sarlo-Davila, Andrea N. Nunez Andrade, Aakilah S. Hernandez, Fernanda Rezende, Raluca G. Mateescu. (June 26-30, 2022) Incorporating Breed of Origin and Runs-of-Homozygosity information in a Genome-Wide Association for Meat Traits in a Brangus Commercial Herd. American Society of Animal Science Canadian Society of Animal Science Annual Meeting and Trade Show. Abstract ID: 1244632 Gabriel A. Zayas, Eduardo E. Rodr�guez, Aakilah S. Hernandez, Fernanda M. Rezende, Raluca G. Mateescu. (October t-7, 2022) Identification and Functional Annotation of Signatures of Selection in a Brangus Commercial Herd. Proceedings 8th Annual Animal Sciences Graduate Symposium. PG. 52, Abstract:42 Gabriel Antonio Zayas Santiago, Eduardo E. Rodriguez, Aakilah S. Hernandez, Andrea Nunez, Fernanda Rezende and Raluca G Mateescu. (January 13-18, 2023) Genome-Wide Association Integrating Breed of Origin and Runs of Homozygosity for Meat Traits in a Commercial Brangus Population. Proceedings 30th International Plant and Animal Genome Conference. Abstract #48650 Gabriel Antonio Zayas Santiago, Eduardo E. Rodriguez, Aakilah S. Hernandez, Fernanda Rezende and Raluca G Mateescu. (January 13-18, 2023) Functional and Biological Role of Signatures of Selection in a Brangus Commercial Herd. Proceedings 30th International Plant and Animal Genome Conference. Abstract: PO0783 Raluca G Mateescu, Aakilah S. Hernandez, Andrea Nunez, Eduardo E. Rodriguez, Gabriel Antonio Zayas Santiago, Ashley Beard, Camila Santos, Fahad Rafiq, Fernanda Rezende and Pascal A. Oltenacu. (January 13-18, 2023) Uncovering the Genetic Architecture Underlying the Thermotolerance Production Complex in Beef Cattle. Proceedings 30th International Plant and Animal Genome Conference. BB Powell, SA Brooks. 2022. Preliminary Identification of a Quantitative Trait Locus for Head Length in the American Quarter Horse. Plant and Animal Genome XXIX Conference
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Quinn A. Hoorn, Gabriel A. Zayas, Eduardo E. Rodriguez, Laura M. Jensen, Raluca G. Mateescu, and Peter J. Hansen. (Dec. 5, 2022). Identification of quantitative trait loci and associated candidate genes for pregnancy success in Brangus heifers. Reproduction, Fertility and Development 35(2) 221-222 BB Powell, S Brooks. 2023 A preliminary investigation of candidate genes from a GWAS identified QTL for relative body size in the American Quarter Horse. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 124, 104343 BB Powell, KC Horvath, TL Gilliam, KT Sibille, A Keil, EK Miller-Cushon. 2023Behavioral and Physiological Reactions to a Sudden Novel Object in the Weanling Horse: Quantitative Phenotypes for Future GWAS. Genes 14 (3), 593 QA Hoorn, GA Zayas, EE Rodriguez, LM Jensen, RG Mateescu. 2023 Identification of quantitative trait loci and associated candidate genes for pregnancy success in AngusBrahman crossbred heifers. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology 14 (1), 137 QA Hoorn, MB Rabaglino, TS Maia, M Sagheer, D Fuego, Z Jiang. 2023 Transcriptomic profiling of the bovine endosalpinx and endometrium to identify putative embryokines. Physiological Genomics 55 (11), 557-564


Progress 11/15/21 to 11/14/22

Outputs
Target Audience:With all 3 Fellowships awarded, our efforts have turned from recruiting to advising. The 3 PhD students in the program have been the target audience Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two MS and PhD Interdisciplinary Concentrations in Domestic Animal Genomics were created and approved starting Spring 2022. Capitalization of the opportunities livestock genomics offers to society will require implementation of hands-on education programs grounded in sound scientific methods coupled with deep understanding of modern animal production systems to equip a new generation of students with critically needed knowledge and skills. Developing this expertise requires mastering quantitative genetics, computational and molecular biology, and statistics. Creation of a formal Domestic Animal Genomics Interdisciplinary Concentration in the Animal Sciences Department at the University of Florida will address the critical shortage by educating masters students with the skills required to excel in technologically advanced food and agricultural industries How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Training will continue for the 3 PhD students and we expect to grow the number of graduates enrolled in the newly formed Interdisciplinary Concentrations

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Three PhD students are currently completing their program under this award. Lane Haimon PhD student in Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology, since 2020; expected graduation is 2024. Career goals are to obtain an extension-research position in academia Research has focused on epigenetics of developmental programming of the preimplantation bovine embryo by choline Currently, co-author of one paper in Journal of Dairy Science; three first-author papers are anticipated Has participated in two beef cattle extension programs and served as an instructor for an undergraduate course Presented her research from Florida at one seminar, one local symposium, and at three scientific meetings Barclay Powell Through the opportunity afforded by this NNF, we were able to recruit Barclay to join our group as a PhD candidate beginning in Fall 2019. Her first two semesters in the PhD track included course work in Ethics in Genetics, our very challenging Advanced Genetics course, Statistical Methids, Grant Writing and Genetic analysis in Livestock, as well as a survey Genomics and Bioinformatics course. Despite this load she has maintained an excellent GPA and led the fall and spring startle response behavior trials on the farm. Barclay participated in the fall Florida Genetics Symposium and in January the international Plant and Animal Genome Conference. She has just submitted as abstract for the by-invitation meeting of the Havemeyer Horse Genome Workshop in summer 2020. She has one manuscript in preparation from her current work, and one published from her undergraduate research work at FSU. (references below) Barclay B. Powell1 Carissa L. Wickens2, Emily K. Miller-Cushon2, Andreas Keil3, Samantha A. Brooks1 (2019) "Phenotyping Approaches for Identification of Heritable Variation in Startle Response" (Poster) Florida Genetic Symposium, Gainesville, FL. Barclay B. Powell1 Carissa L. Wickens2, Emily K. Miller-Cushon2, Andreas Keil3, Samantha A. Brooks1 (2020) "Phenotyping Approaches for Identification of Heritable Variation in Startle Response" (Poster) International Plant and Animal Genome Conference, San Diego, CA. Ward MJ, Ellsworth SA, Hogan MP et al. (2018). Female-biased population divergence in the venom of the Hentz striped scorpion (Centruroides hentzi). Toxicon, 152 : 137-149. Gabriel Zayas Started his PhD in Summer 2020, with a research focus on using genomic information to estimate heterosis and breed of origin in beef cattle. He learned to estimate genomic haplotype breed of origin and breed composition in multibreed cattle using commercial bovine SNP chips and to perform genome wide association studies (GWAS) using diverse platforms. Gabriel won the 1st Place Flash Talk Competition, 8th Animals Sciences Graduate Symposium - 2022. He was also awarded the 2022 Plant & Genome XXIX Neal A. Jorgenson Genome Travel Grant.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Carmickle AT, Larson CC, Hernandez FS, Pereira JMV, Ferreira FC, Haimon MLJ, Jensen LM, Hansen PJ, Denicol AC. Physiological responses of Holstein calves and heifers carrying the SLICK1 allele to heat stress in California and Florida dairy farms. J Dairy Sci. 2022 Sep 13:S0022-0302(22)00527-6. doi: 10.3168/jds.2022-22177. Ward MJ, Ellsworth SA, Hogan MP, Powell B et al. (2018). Female-biased population divergence in the venom of the Hentz striped scorpion (Centruroides hentzi). Toxicon, 152 : 137-149.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Haimon, M. L. J., Estrada-Cort�s, E., Amaral, T. F., Jeensuk, S., Sosa, F., Block, J., Heredia, D., Venturini, M., Snatos Rojas, C., Gonella-Diaza, A., DiLorenzo, N., Hansen, P. J. (2022). Culture of bovine preimplantation embryos with choline chloride increases birth weight of the resultant calves. Society for the Study of Reproduction, Spokane, WA


Progress 11/15/20 to 11/14/21

Outputs
Target Audience:With all 3 Fellowships awarded, our efforts have turned from recruiting to advising. The 3 PhD students in the program have been the target audience. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two MS and PhD Interdisciplinary Concentrations in Domestic Animal Genomics were created and approved starting Spring 2022. Capitalization of the opportunities livestock genomics offers to society will require implementation of hands-on education programs grounded in sound scientific methods coupled with deep understanding of modern animal production systems to equip a new generation of students with critically needed knowledge and skills. Developing this expertise requires mastering quantitative genetics, computational and molecular biology, and statistics. Creation of a formal Domestic Animal Genomics Interdisciplinary Concentration in the Animal Sciences Department at the University of Florida will address the critical shortage by educating masters students with the skills required to excel in technologically advanced food and agricultural industries. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Training will continue for the 3 PhD students and we expect to grow the number of graduates enrolled in the newly formed Interdisciplinary Concentrations.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Three PhD students are currently completing their program under this award. Lane Haimon began her PhD on July 1, 2022. Her research focuses on epigenetic regulation of postnatal phenotype by choline. Experiments are underway to evaluate whether provision of supplemental choline to the preimplantation embryo causes changes in the methylome that alter postnatal growth. She has presented two seminars - one to Animal Sciences (2/4/2021; Effects of grazing novel or endophyte-infected tall fescue during mid-gestation on cow performance and subsequent calf performance) and one to the AMCB (10/1/2021; Developmental programming of the embryo by choline - reflections on possible mechanisms. She has also presented a poster at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Animal Science entitled "Exposure to 1.8 mM choline chloride does not impact development to the blastocyst stage or pregnancy rate after transfer for embryos produced in vitro". Barclay Powell started her PhD in Fall 2019, with a research focus on Identification of genomic loci contributing to behavioral and conformational traits in the American Quarter Horse. She's learned the intricacies of GWAs and working through complex phenotypes of startle response, skull shape and limb conformation. She aims to undertake her qualifying exam in Summer 2022. She's invited to speak in the horse workshop at PAG in 2022, and is co-author on one other invited talk. Gabriel Zayas started his PhD in Summer 2020, with a research focus on using genomic information to estimate heterosis and breed of origin in beef cattle. He learned to estimate genomic haplotype breed of origin and breed composition in multibreed cattle using commercial bovine SNP chips and to perform genome wide association studies (GWAS) using diverse platforms. Gabriel won the 1st Place Flash Talk Competition, 7th Animals Sciences Graduate Symposium - 2021. He was also awarded the 2022 Plant & Genome XXIX Neal A. Jorgenson Genome Travel Grant.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Barclay Powell, Kelsey Horvath, Carissa L. Wickens, Emily K. Miller-Cushon, Andreas Keil, Samantha A. Brooks (2021) Refined phenotyping methods for the equine cardiac startle response (Talk) Equine Science Society, Virtual Symposium Barclay Powell, Kelsey C. Horvath, Carissa L. Wickens, Emily K. Miller-Cushon, Andreas Keil, Samantha A. Brooks (2021) Refined phenotyping methods for the equine cardiac startle response (Talk) 7th UF-IFAS Animal Sciences Graduate Research Symposium October 7-8th, 2021, St. Augustine Beach. 2Gabriel A. Zayas, R.G. Mateescu. (2021). Identification of breed specific ROH with significant effects on production traits in the Multibreed Angus-Brahman Herd. Proceedings 7th Annual Research Symposium, UF Animal Sciences Graduate Program, Gainesville, FL, pg. 42. (Oral Flash Talk) Gabriel A. Zayas, E. E. Rodr�guez, A. N. Nunez, A.S. Hernandez, F. Rezende, and R.G. Mateescu. (2021). Breed Specific Runs-of-Homozygosity with Significant Effects on Carcass Traits in the Multibreed Angus-Braham Herd. 5th Annual Graduate Research Symposium, Gainesville, FL, Session B, Abstract #16. (Poster Presentation)


Progress 11/15/19 to 11/14/20

Outputs
Target Audience:The initial period of this project was support was devoted to recruiting efforts. We targeted undergraduate students at four year colleges with programs in animal sciences. In addition we directed recruiting efforts at faculty in these programs through direct contact, presentations at scientific conferences and direct mailings. Recruiting materials were also distributed thorugh social media, on the PI's websites and their Tweeter feeds. Recruiting efforts focused on under-represented groups. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The first year of active support, we focused our efforts on development of program resources (website) and recruiting materials (announcemet and brochure). Informational recruiting materials that outlined our NNF program were sent to all fouryear colleges with established animal science programs. In addition, materials were presented/distributed at the annual meetings of the American Society of Animal Science and the Plant and Animal Genome Conference. Announcements were also forwarded directly to animal science collegues. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Students will begin their graduate programs this fall and will begin participating in the activities outlined in our program. First year activities will include creation of individual development plans (IDPs) and coursework.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? One PhD student was recruited to start Fall 2019 in the Animal Sciences Program. Two other PhD students will start 2020

Publications


    Progress 11/15/18 to 11/14/19

    Outputs
    Target Audience:The initial period of this project was support was devoted to recruiting efforts. We targeted undergraduate students at four year colleges with programs in animal sciences. In addition we directed recruiting efforts at faculty in these programs through direct contact, presentations at scientific conferences and direct mailings. Recruiting materials were also distributed thorugh social media, on the PI's websites and their Tweeter feeds. Recruiting efforts focused on under-represented groups. Changes/Problems:Major challenge is identifying students for the program. We will intensify our recruiting efforts. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The first year of active support, we focused our efforts on development of program resources (website) and recruiting materials (announcemet and brochure). Informational recruiting materials that outlined our NNF program were sent to all four-year colleges with established animal science programs. In addition, materials were presented/distributed at the annual meetings of the American Society of Animal Science and the Plant and Animal Genome Conference. Announcements were also forwarded directly to animal science collegues. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Students will begin their graduate programs this fall and will begin participating in the activities outlined in our program. First year activities will include creation of individual development plans (IDPs) and coursework.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? One PhD student was recruited to start Fall 2019 in the Animal Sciences Program.

    Publications