Achievements and progress in genome mapping and the genomics of microbes supersede by far those for higher plants and animals, in part due to their enormous economic implication but also smaller genome size. In the post-genomic era, whole genome sequences of animal-associated microbes are providing clues to depicting the genetic basis of the complex host-pathogen relationships and the evolution of parasitism; and to improving methods of controlling pathogens. This volume focuses on a globally important group of intracellular prokaryotic pathogens which affect livestock animals. These include Brucella, Mycobacterium, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia, as well as the protozoan pathogens Cryptosporidium and Theileria, for which genome sequence data is available. Insights from comparative genomics of the microbes described provide clues to the adaptation involved in host-microbe interactions, as well as resources potentially useful for application in future research and product development.

Advances in Animal Genomics provides an outstanding collection of integrated strategies involving traditional and modern - omics (structural, functional, comparative and epigenomics) approaches and genomics-assisted breeding methods which animal biotechnologists can utilize to dissect and decode the molecular and gene regulatory networks involved in the complex quantitative yield and stress tolerance traits in livestock. Written by international experts on animal genomics, this book explores the recent advances in high-throughput, next-generation whole genome and transcriptome sequencing, array-based genotyping, and modern bioinformatics approaches which have enabled to produce huge genomic and transcriptomic resources globally on a genome-wide scale. This book is an important resource for researchers, students, educators and professionals in agriculture, veterinary and biotechnology sciences that enables them to solve problems regarding sustainable development with the help of current innovative biotechnologies. - Integrates basic and advanced concepts of animal biotechnology and presents future developments - Describes current high-throughput next-generation whole genome and transcriptome sequencing, array-based genotyping, and modern bioinformatics approaches for sustainable livestock production - Illustrates integrated strategies to dissect and decode the molecular and gene regulatory networks involved in complex quantitative yield and stress tolerance traits in livestock - Ensures readers will gain a strong grasp of biotechnology for sustainable livestock production with its well-illustrated discussion

Although we can't usually see them, microbes are essential for every part of human life-indeed all life on Earth. The emerging field of metagenomics offers a new way of exploring the microbial world that will transform modern microbiology and lead to practical applications in medicine, agriculture, alternative energy, environmental remediation, and many others areas. Metagenomics allows researchers to look at the genomes of all of the microbes in an environment at once, providing a "meta" view of the whole microbial community and the complex interactions within it. It's a quantum leap beyond traditional research techniques that rely on studying-one at a time-the few microbes that can be grown in the laboratory. At the request of the National Science Foundation, five Institutes of the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Energy, the National Research Council organized a committee to address the current state of metagenomics and identify obstacles current researchers are facing in order to determine how to best support the field and encourage its success. The New Science of Metagenomics recommends the establishment of a "Global Metagenomics Initiative" comprising a small number of large-scale metagenomics projects as well as many medium- and small-scale projects to advance the technology and develop the standard practices needed to advance the field. The report also addresses database needs, methodological challenges, and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in supporting this new field.

There is growing enthusiasm in the scientific community about the prospect of mapping and sequencing the human genome, a monumental project that will have far-reaching consequences for medicine, biology, technology, and other fields. But how will such an effort be organized and funded? How will we develop the new technologies that are needed? What new legal, social, and ethical questions will be raised? Mapping and Sequencing the Human Genome is a blueprint for this proposed project. The authors offer a highly readable explanation of the technical aspects of genetic mapping and sequencing, and they recommend specific interim and long-range research goals, organizational strategies, and funding levels. They also outline some of the legal and social questions that might arise and urge their early consideration by policymakers.

The Arthur M. Sackler Colloquia of the National Academy of Sciences address scientific topics of broad and current interest, cutting across the boundaries of traditional disciplines. Each year, four or five such colloquia are scheduled, typically two days in length and international in scope. Colloquia are organized by a member of the Academy, often with the assistance of an organizing committee, and feature presentations by leading scientists in the field and discussions with a hundred or more researchers with an interest in the topic. Colloquia presentations are recorded and posted on the National Academy of Sciences Sackler colloquia website and published on CD-ROM. These Colloquia are made possible by a generous gift from Mrs. Jill Sackler, in memory of her husband, Arthur M. Sackler.

Infectious diseases are commonly regarded as a distinct category, with different causes and patterns than chronic or genetic disease. But in fact there are many varieties of genetic susceptibility to infection, the subject of this book, which will be divided into three sections: 1) concepts and methods, 2) genes and pathophysiologic mechanisms, and 3) infectious agents and diseases. No currently plubished text on either genetics or infectious diseases focuses on the genetic aspects of the special relationship between host and pathogen in the way envisioned for Section 1. No other work on the selected genes regulating immunity deals as systematically with the sequence variation/function relationships most pertinent to infection as planned for Section 2. And no other book gives as meaningful a picture of how these genes operate in infectious disease as Section 3 will.

The marmoset, a type of small monkey native to South America, is a research model of increasing importance for biomedical research in the United States and globally. Marmosets offer a range of advantages as animal models in neuroscience, aging, infectious diseases, and other fields of study. They may be particularly useful for the development of new disease models using genetic engineering and assisted reproductive technologies. However, concerns have been voiced with respect to the development of new marmoset-based models of disease, ethical considerations for their use, the supply of marmosets available for research, and gaps in guidance for their care and management. To explore and address these concerns, the Roundtable on Science and Welfare in Laboratory Animal Use hosted a public workshop on October 22-23, 2018, in Washington, DC. The workshop focused on the availability of marmosets in the United States and abroad; animal welfare and ethical considerations stemming from the use of wildtype and genetically modified marmosets; and standards of housing and care, dietary needs, and feeding requirements for marmosets in captivity. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

This publication provides an update on the current status of gene maps in different livestock and pet/companion animal species. The findings summarized in species specific commentaries and original articles testify the rapid advances made in the field of animal genomics. Of significant interest is the fact that current investigations are providing headways for two important and exciting research fronts: targeted high-resolution mapping leading to the application of genomic information in addressing questions of economic and biological significance in animals, and the initiation of whole genome sequencing projects for some of the animal species. Like in humans and mice, this will set the stage for a new level of research and real time complex analysis of the genomes of these species. Animal Genomics signifies the beginning of a new era in this field and celebrates the achievements of the past 20 years of genomics research. It will be of special interest to researchers involved in genome analysis - both gross chromosomal as well as molecular - in various animal species, and to comparative and evolutionary geneticists.

The Food Forum convened a public workshop on February 22-23, 2012, to explore current and emerging knowledge of the human microbiome, its role in human health, its interaction with the diet, and the translation of new research findings into tools and products that improve the nutritional quality of the food supply. The Human Microbiome, Diet, and Health: Workshop Summary summarizes the presentations and discussions that took place during the workshop. Over the two day workshop, several themes covered included: The microbiome is integral to human physiology, health, and disease. The microbiome is arguably the most intimate connection that humans have with their external environment, mostly through diet. Given the emerging nature of research on the microbiome, some important methodology issues might still have to be resolved with respect to undersampling and a lack of causal and mechanistic studies. Dietary interventions intended to have an impact on host biology via their impact on the microbiome are being developed, and the market for these products is seeing tremendous success. However, the current regulatory framework poses challenges to industry interest and investment.

WHO has launched new guidelines on use of medically important antimicrobials in food-producing animals, recommending that farmers and the food industry stop using antibiotics routinely to promote growth and prevent disease in healthy animals. These guidelines aim to help preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics that are important for human medicine by reducing their use in animals.