A NEW research agreement aimed at improving the sustainability of animal production has been established between the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute and animal breeding company Hendrix Genetics.

The combined researchers are to focus on innovations that lead to greater disease resistance in farmed animals and better selective breeding programmes. Their goal is to reduce losses and improve welfare in the livestock industries and in fish farming.

The agreement builds on existing collaborations in salmon disease genetics, as the Roslin Institute already works closely with the salmon breeding company Landcatch, a Hendrix Genetics company based in Ormsary in Argyll.

That collaboration has already yielded the discovery of a gene that makes salmon more resilient to a viral disease, and led to the development of genetic tools that have improved selective breeding for resistance to sea lice.

Hendrix and the Roslin Institute are now strengthening and extending their relationship, allowing them to explore precision breeding technology, not only in aquaculture, but also in pig, chicken and turkey breeding.

Hendrix chief innovation and technology officer, Dr Johan van Arendonk, said: “This partnership with Roslin – a world leading research institute – offers a unique opportunity to improve our breeding programs through applied research projects using the latest genomic technology.”

Roslin deputy director Professor Bruce Whitelaw said: “We are excited about building on our long-term relationship with Landcatch through establishing this strategic partnership. Working with Hendrix Genetics across a number of commercial species offers exciting opportunities for the science that Roslin pioneers.”

Dr Ross Houston, the group leader in aquaculture genetics at Roslin, added: “This is an exciting development which will allow us to build on past successes with Hendrix Genetics Aquaculture, and facilitate new projects to improve disease resistance in salmon and other species through selective breeding.”