David Alvis, of the Technology Strategy Board, presents to the Dairy2020 project working group on biotechnology and dairy.

1. Biotechnology
& the Dairy Sector

2. • Sustainably balancing future supply & demand
– Improving Productivity using existing Knowledge
– Raising the limits of Sustainable Production through the application
of New Technology
– Reducing Waste
• Addressing Future Volatility in the food System
– Managing risk
• Ending Hunger
– Through the provision of access to affordable, safe & nutritious food
for all
• Addressing the challenges of a Low-emissions
World
– Reducing GHG emissions
– Increasing production efficiency
• Maintaining Biodiversity & Ecosystem services
whilst feeding the world
– More Food per Acre = More room for Nature

4. Genomics
The ability to decode and analyse the genetic make up (DNA)
of living organisms
Better informed breeding decisions
– Earlier Identification of desirable / undesirable traits in an individual /
population
– More accurate selection for desirable traits i.e. production, feed
conversion efficiency, disease resistance, longevity
– Identification of lethal recessives avoid/reduce negative effects of
inbreeding
Vastly reduced ‘generation interval’ Faster genetic
progress

5. Genomics
2004 Bovine Genome Sequenced
2007 50K SNP ‘chip’ commercially available
2009 500K SNP Chip released
2010 First ‘Genomically proven’ bulls actively
marketed by AI companies around the world.

6. O-bee Manfred Justice
The Most Influential Bull of the last 10 Years
Born:
Apr 1998
First Proof : Feb 2003
First Proven son : Jan 2009
1 Million Straws sold: Oct 2010
Died
Feb 2011
No.1 NM$ Bull in US for 7 consecutive years, with >40,000 registered daughters
Many of world’s top proven AI sires are Oman sons or Grandsons
His semen has always been ‘on allocation’

7. Genomic Selection
Shortening the generation interval
De-Su Fathom (GNM$ 793)
&
De-Su Franz (GNM$ 795)
Are at the Very top of the 99th Percentile of the Holstein breed for production and
health traits and are, currently, being used heavily as ‘sires of sons’
They were Born, as a result of Embryo Transplant, on 25th September 2009
Their sire, Langs-Twin-B CR Cassino, (GNM$ £690 -99%ile)..
..Was born 1st September 2007
By the time Cassino receives his first daughter Proof, His First crop of grandsons
will be almost 1 year old, Genomically tested and themselves contracted as Sires of
Sons.

8. Meta-Genomics
• The Genomics of Whole ‘Ecosystems’
• Meta-genomics Provides better understanding of the way complex
biological environments (e.g the rumen) function through the genomic
analysis of the entire system biomass.
• Meta-Genomics will help improve Diet Formulation, accelerate the
development of better Feeds & feed additives and more effective
Pharmaceuticals & Vaccines...
• ..improving Feed conversion efficiency and animal health & Welfare and
reducing Enteric methane production.

9. CLONING

10. Elvis is alive..
..and was produced by ViaGen, a US company, in 2005, by cloning a Grade 1
Angus crossbred steer..
..using a cell taken from it’s carcass...
..proving that Castration & Death are no longer necessarily barriers to Genetic
Progress!

12. 2 3

13. Genetic modification
“Brave New World”
or “FrankenFood” ?

14. Genetic Modification of Dairy Cows
GM research in New Zealand has focused on increasing the protein content
of milk, by inserting a second copy of the kappa-casein gene into dairy
cattle, resulting in a 25%, increase in K-casein levels in milk thus improving
both it’s nutritional and commercial value
Researchers in China claim to have created a herd of 300 transgenic cows
that produce milk containing a human protein called Lysozyme; an
antimicrobial protein naturally found in large quantities in human breast
milk. Lysozyme helps to protect infants from bacterial infections during their
early days of life.
The cows produce another protein from human milk called Lactoferrin,
which helps to boost the numbers of immune cells in babies. A third human
milk protein called alpha-lactalbumin was also produced.
Other research has focused on potential to produce milk containing high-
value pharmaceutical or nutraceutical proteins.

15. GM Mastitis Resistance
Researchers from University of Vermont & USDA have,
produced genetically modified dairy cows resistant to a form
of mastitis
They produced a modified gene that enables animals to
produce a naturally occurring enzyme, Lysostaphin, in their
milk, which breaks down the cell walls of Staphylococcus
aureus bacteria, a major cause of mastitis.
The gene was inserted into Jersey embryos and five transgenic
cows carrying the Lysostaphin gene were produced.
All showed resistance to Staph. Aureus and one, pictured above, never became infected. The transgenic cows, as a
group, exhibited an 80% reduction in the rate of infection compared to non-transgenic cows.
Mastitis costs the US dairy Industry alone over $2 billion every year in discarded milk, veterinary costs and lost
production
This research, if commercialised, could significantly reduce the incidence of mastitis, increasing productivity and
addressing key issues, such as reducing the current reliance on antibiotics and improving animal welfare.
Further research is ongoing to determine whether other pathogenic infections could be controlled in this way

16. biotechnology offers practically unimaginable potential to improve the
efficiency of food production from livestock..
to reduce environmental impact per unit food
produced
to reduce the impact of disease
To improve animal welfare
to enhance product quality and nutritional value
and to safeguard human health.

17. The developments we see today are just the beginning of what will be
possible and are unsophisticated in comparison to what will be possible in
the longer-term.

18. Thank you