1.Quantitative genetic studies to identify markers of health traits
For new technologies to be successful and effective in small-holder systems, it needs to fit into the existing system and be seen as a priority intervention (Marshall et al., 2011).
Dense SNP chips (tens or hundreds of thousands of SNPs) are the key to effective and portable genetic marker studies. Currently these are costly and only truly available in species with a genome sequence (e.g., man, mouse, chicken). Another significant issue with animal genome sequences is the lack of annotation, which is mostly based on homology to genes in other animal species and not actual experimental testing in the species of interest.
The step from discovery of significant marker associations to utilizable markers for animal health is long, difficult and expensive.