Applications of Gene-based Technologies for Improving Animal Production and Health in Developing Countries

Modern Biotechnology has potential for solving many problems associated with animal productivity and health and offers exciting opportunities for enhancing agricultural productivity. At present the focus is, however, on the issues and problems of significance for livestock producers in the developed world. In order to fully realize the benefits of this technology in developing countries, there is a need to identify, characterize and apply appropriate gene-based technologies for these regions. These proceedings present peer reviewed state-of-the-art papers describing the achievements in the areas of animal breeding and genetics, animal nutrition, animal health, and environment, ethics, safety, and regulatory aspects of gene-based technologies; achievements which could be realized using these modern scientific tools to maximise the benefits from the 'livestock revolution' that is taking place; and the constraints in the use of gene-based technologies and their specific research needs. This book will help in bridging the wide gap between developed and developing countries, in the development and use of gene-based technologies, and to elucidate the current and future roles of such technologies in the developing world. It is a good reference source for researchers, students and policy-makers alike.

From the table of contents:

Gene-based Technologies for Livestock Industries in the 3rd Millennium, E.P. CUNNINGHAM; Challenges and Opportunities for Controlling and Preventing Animal Diseases in Developing Countries through Gene-based Technologies, J.R. CROWTHER AND M.H. JEGGO; Molecular Genetics and Livestock Selection, JOHN L. WILLIAMS; First Report on the State of the World’s Animal Genetic Resources , R. CARDELLINO, I. HOFFMANN AND K.A. TEMPELMAN; Development of Germline Manipulation Technologies in Livestock, C. BRUCE A. WHITELAW; DNA Polymorphisms in the Sahiwal Breed of Zebu Cattle Revealed by Synthetic Oligonucleotide Probes, SHASHIKANTH AND B.R. YADAV; Genetic Diversity and Relationships of Vietnamese and European Pig Breeds, N.T.D. THUY et al.; Combining Gene-Based Methods and Reproductive Technologies to Enhance Genetic Improvement of Livestock in Developing Countries, JULIUS VAN DER WERF AND KAREN MARSHALL; Evaluation of the Utility of the Fecb Gene to Improve the Productivity of Deccani Sheep in Maharashtra, India; CHANDA NIMBKAR et al.; Effect of Pregnancy on Endometrial Sex Steroid Receptors and on Prostaglandin F2 Release after Uterine Biopsy in Heifers, ANA MEIKLE et al.; Inventory Analysis of West African Cattle Breeds, D.M.A. BELEMSAGA et al.; A Review of Gastrointestinal Microbiology with Special Emphasis on Molecular Microbial Ecology Approaches, RODERICK I. MACKIE AND ISAAC K.O. CANN; Gene-Based Vaccine Development for Improving Animal Production in Developing Countries, J.R. EGERTON; Current and Future Developments in Nucleic Acid-Based Diagnostics, GERRIT J. VILJOEN et al.; Reverse Genetics with Animal Viruses, TESHOME MEBATSION; Viral Subversion of the Immune System, LAURENT GILLET AND ALAIN VANDERPLASSCHEN; The Molecular Basis of Livestock Disease as Illustrated by African Trypanosomiasis, JOHN E. DONELSON; Vaccination Against Ticks and the Control of Ticks and Tick-borne Disease, PETER WILLADSEN; Development of Marker Vaccines for Rinderpest Virus Using Reverse Genetics Technology, SATYA PARIDA et al.; Evaluation of Diagnostic Tools for Epidemiological Purposes, INGRID BERGMANN et al.;Virus Evolution in the Face of the Host Response , ESTEBAN DOMINGO; Rumen Microbial Genomics, MARK MORRISON AND KAREN E. NELSON; Transgenesis and Genomics in Molecular Breeding of Pasture Grasses and Legumes for Forage Quality and Other Traits, GERMAN SPANGENBERG; Investigation of the Rumen Microbial Community Responsible for Degradation of a Putative Toxin in Acacia angustissima, ERIN M.C. COLLINS et al.; Application of Molecular Microbial Ecology Tools to Facilitate the Development of Feeding Systems for Ruminant Livestock that Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions , G.J. MCCRABB et al.; Effect of Secondary Compounds in Forages on Rumen Micro-organisms Quantified by 16S and 18S RRNA, ELIZABETH WINA et al.; Nutrition-gene Interactions (Post-genomics), GREGORY S. HARPER et al.; Genetic Opportunities to Enhance Sustainability of Pork Production in Developing Countries: a Model for Food Animals, CECIL W. FORSBERG et al.; Ethical, Social, Environmental and Economic Issues in Animal Agriculture, P.C. KESAVAN AND M.S. SWAMINATHAN; Risks of Gene Transfer from GMOs to Livestock, and Consequences for Health and Nutrition, RICHARD H. PHIPPS et al.; Regulatory and Biosafety Issues in Relation to Transgenic Animals in Food and Agriculture, H.P.S. KOCHHAR et al.; Intellectual Property Rights and Gene-Based Technologies for Animal Production and Health, GRAHAM DUTFIELD; Antibiotic Resistance and Plasmids Carriage among Escherichia coli Isolates from Chicken Meat in Malaysia, TIN TIN MYAING et al.; Comparison of DNA Probe, PCR Amplification, ELISA and Culture Methods for the Rapid Detection of Salmonella in Poultry, JAFAR A. QASEM et al.; Control of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy by Genetic Engineering: Possible Approaches and Regulatory Considerations, J.S. GAVORA;....... ;Index.