Europe’ s role in food security
Dr Shenggen Fan, Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute, speaking at the third in Teagasc’ s lecture series‘ Grand Challenges for Global Agriculture and Food’.
Global hunger and malnutrition remain persistent as nearly 870 million people are currently undernourished and more than two billion suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. What is more, many current and emerging challenges, such as natural resource constraints, climate change, and a growing, more affluent, and urbanised global population, threaten food and nutrition security further. Dr Shenggen Fan, Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute, speaking at the third in Teagasc’ s lecture series, said:“ An integrated approach is needed to sustainably improve food and nutrition security for the world’ s poorest and most vulnerable. Europe has a key role to play in advancing this task going forward as well.” In his lecture, Dr Fan made policy recommendations on the role of Europe in achieving the above, including: increasing development assistance to food and nutrition security; expanding investment in agricultural R & D and support technology transfer; reforming domestic agricultural policies and promote open trade; building national capacities in developing countries; and, promoting South-South and North-South learning.
Next generation sequencing
Advanced DNA sequencing technologies have led to a revolution in almost all fields of biological research. Sequencing of all or part of the genome has had an enormous impact on research relating to human and animal health, food and agriculture. For example, studies within Teagasc have focused on identification of microorganisms within the human gut that contribute to health or disease. Incorporating beneficial microorganisms into foods can help restore and maintain good digestion in the gut.
Advanced DNA sequencing has a big role to play in this kind of research, and in the coming years this area will become even more critical in producing results.
Teagasc, and the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre( APC) recently secured funding to greatly expand the DNA sequencing facilities at Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark. Three additional state-of-the-art sequencing platforms, an Illumina MiSeq, an Ion PGM and an Ion Proton, will greatly expand the number of options open to researchers. A combination of a Teagasc equipment grant and Science Foundation Ireland infrastructure funding has made it possible for this centre to be one of the few around the world to have access to such a full range of sequencing resources.
Teagasc researcher Dr Fiona Crispie.
SCIENCE SPIN Issue 58 Page 24
SNP chips – genomic selection A
paradigm shift in dairy cattle breeding programmes occurred very recently with the direct inclusion of DNA information in the Irish national genetic evaluation of dairy animals. The inclusion of DNA information, in a process called genomic selection, results in greater accuracy by which genetically elite animals can be identified and thus subsequently used as parents of the next generation. Other uses of DNA information include parentage verification and the screening of animals for known lethal or congenital genetic mutations. A new low-cost genotyping platform, the International Dairy & Beef( IDB) genotyping platform, developed by Irish scientists in collaboration with US scientists, was released in February 2013. Within three weeks of a hair sample from an animal been taken on-farm, the producer will receive information on the sire of the animal, whether it carries any genetic defects, as well as an accurate estimate of the genetic merit of the animal. This information will influence the producer’ s decision on whether or not to retain the animal as a parent of the next generation. As well as contributing valuable information to the producer to make more informed breeding decisions, the information generated it is also a vital component of food traceability.
Taking a hair sample from a calf during filming of the‘ Science Squad’ television series.