Agriculture & Agri-food

After ravaging Asia for over a decade, Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) entered USA in April 2013, and Canada in January 2014. Controlling the spread of PEDV by surveillance and biosecurity measures and eliminating the virus from infected farms are industry priorities. This project will investigate genomic and molecular mechanisms associated with PEDV survivorship in […]

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is the causative agent of porcine epidemic diarrhea resulting in high mortality in affected swine, particularly neonatal piglets, characterize PED disease. This emerging virus rapidly spreads and has caused significant economic losses, primarily due to very high mortality (50% to 100%) of young piglets in affected herds. The aim of

The existence of considerable host genetic variance in susceptibility to diseases is well documented in the pig, and currently, discussion and research has focused on improving pig health and the most appropriate means to do this. Thus, the goal of this project is to develop genomic tools for genetic improvement of disease resilience in the

Improving feed efficiency is vital for the swine industry to enhance global competitiveness, reduce the environmental impact, and increase the sustainability and social acceptability of Alberta and Canadian pig production. The overall goal of this project is to genetically improve pig feed efficiency through enhanced genomic estimated breeding values. This project is in collaboration with

Pigs respond to Salmonella infection with reduced production efficiency, but fairly mild disease symptoms. The greater concern for Salmonella infection in swine production is for reasons of food safety and human health. Results obtained from a previous project suggest that it is possible to identify pigs that will mount a successful defense against Salmonella to

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) causes significant economic losses in both the beef and dairy industries. Although there are many factors contributing to BRD, the bacteria that are largely responsible for the disease share a common feature that is our target for developing effective vaccines.  This project is focused on developing effective preventative measures using novel

The health of honey bees has been declining over the past decade, with Canadian beekeepers losing more than a quarter of their colonies each winter since 2006-07. The high colony losses, coupled with the possible loss of access to replacement sources, pose a serious threat to the productivity of major Canadian agri-food industries and jeopardize

To keep pace with increased global demand for wheat, new technologies must be developed and deployed to accelerate and improve the efficiency of selection. The wheat DNA sequence holds the key to genetic improvements that will allow growers to meet the increasing demands for high quality food and feed produced in an environmentally sensitive, sustainable,

Bees play a major role in agriculture yet have been under decline. Major colony losses are largely attributed to bee-specific infectious diseases and even though some diseases can be controlled using chemical pesticides, many of the bacteria, viruses, fungi, and mites responsible are finding ways to resist these. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the combination

The two most common and costly diseases in commercial pig production in Canada are Porcine Circovirus Associated Diseases (PCVAD) and Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome (PRRS). Together, they cost the Canadian pig industry $100 million in losses every year. This project seeks to provide new diagnostic tools to select for pigs that are genetically less