Foundation funding supports PRRSv genomics research

May 16, 2012 — AASV Staff

The AASV Foundation is pleased to announce funding for the study, “Applied swine genomics for PRRSv resistance and pathogenesis in the fetus and uterus.” The project proposal, submitted by Dr. Susan Detmer at the University of Saskatchewan, was approved for funding in the amount of $6,000 by the AASV Foundation’s research review committee. The foundation’s support will supplement the project’s primary funding from Genome Canada (co-primary investigator: Dr. John Harding), enabling a graduate student to participate in the data collection and analysis over the summer.

Using a reproductive model developed over the past year, the multi-center project will examine the PRRS resistance within sows and fetuses by comparing the genotype of the fetuses and dams to the tissue viral loads and histopathologic lesions in the fetuses and adjacent uterus. Multivariate analysis will be used to estimate potential relationships between predictor variables and the PRRS-resistance score. Additionally, the project will be looking at specifically identified potential markers of PRRS resistance.

One outcome of the project may be a genetic marker-assisted selection of genetic lines that have a reduced impact of PRRS viral disease. The investigators hope to present preliminary results at the 2013 AASV Annual Meeting.

For additional information regarding the AASV Foundation, see aasv.org/foundation, or contact the AASV: Tel: 515-465-5255; E-mail: aasv@aasv.org.

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AASV staff contributed to or researched this story. For more information about the AASV, please visit http://www.aasv.org/.