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New SAC Freezer Farm - Future Research goes into Cold Storage

SAC News Release Ref. No: 10N106
Published: 03 Dec 2010

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SAC has added a Freezer Farm to its estate. After complex planning and preparation a very important archive for future research has been brought together under one roof where it can be properly managed and monitored, complete with a back up generator to ensure globally important resources are not lost through a power cut!

The improved resource will be important for various SAC researchers, including the Animal Breeding and Genetics Team from the Sustainable Livestock Systems Group. Their work with some of the most productive livestock in the country, also involves the study of their DNA. It is information that can be used in various ways, such as the identification of genes that make an animal more resistant to disease, or produce less greenhouse gasses than their herd mates.
 
“The aims of livestock breeders are constantly changing”, says Dr Lutz Bunger, SAC Reader in Quantitative and Molecular Genetics, “where once the goal was maximising yield now the concerns are wider involving long term health and welfare, temperament or how we can address climate change in livestock farming. The DNA samples help us with that”.

The SAC Freezer Farm means blood samples and others taken from animals are not just used once and destroyed, but are archived for future research. The DNA fingerprints can be added to other records SAC holds on the animals such as production statistics, feeding, behaviour and life history. It could be invaluable for projects linked to tackling new diseases or tracking long term changes in sheep or cattle families.
 
According to SAC’s Dr. Mike Coffey, Team Leader, Animal Breeding and Genetics, animal science does not stand still.

“We can all think of examples where information and material gathered for one piece of research is now vital data in the study of something that had not even been thought of at the time. We don’t know what challenges there might be for food production or health in the future. What is catalogued and stored in our freezers could be the key”.

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News Release Contacts

SAC Contact

Dr Mike Coffey
Team Leader, Animal Breeding & Genetics
SAC (Scottish Agricultural College) Work SAC, Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush,
Midlothian
EH25 9RG
TelWork 0131 5353241/6519335
Fax 0131 535 3121

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News Release Issued By

Mr Ken Rundle
Senior Communications Officer
SAC (Scottish Agricultural College) Work SAC, King's Buildings, West Mains Road,
Edinburgh
EH9 3JG
TelWork 0131 535 4196

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