172 - Developing Genomic Tools for Bison

Abstract: Genomic tools are increasingly being used in livestock production due to their practical applications in production management and animal genetic improvement balanced with a price point that is acceptable to the livestock producer. Our program developed three genetic tools for the bison industry, including Parentage Verification, Subspecies Composition, and Cattle Introgression. The development of these tools occurred in two phases. The first was to use whole genome sequencing to discover single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in bison; approximately 52.5 million biallelic SNPs were discovered from 21 bison animals with high quality sequence data. The second phase was to select a subset of the SNPs for use on a genotyping assay that would ultimately consist of the SNP content for the commercial tool. The resulting genomic tools may provide an opportunity to increase the sustainability, competitiveness, and profitability of the bison industry from both production and conservation perspectives.