This document summarizes the use of biotechnologies in animal agriculture and aquaculture. It discusses technologies related to genetics and breeding like marker assisted selection, reproduction like artificial insemination, nutrition including growth promoters, and animal health such as disease diagnosis. Emerging technologies mentioned include stem cells, metagenomics, and nanotechnology. Factors that contribute to the success of biotechnologies include technical capacity, institutional support, markets, and integration with other agricultural technologies and development programs. Challenges that must be considered relate to productivity, costs and benefits, sustainability, food safety and quality, and ensuring access for small farmers. International cooperation is needed to support technology generation, adaptation and adoption within national livestock development programs.

1. Neena Amatya Gorkhali
Senior Scientist
Nepal Agricultural Research Council
11-13 September 2017, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2. Background
 Wide range of technologies
 conventional
 Biotechnology
 Three Sectors
 Animal reproduction and breeding
 Animal nutrition and production
 Animal health

3. Genetics, Breeding, Reproduction
and Conservation
Reproductive biotechnologies
 Artificial insemination
 dissemination of superior male germplasm
 opportunity for increased productivity
 Complementary technologies
 progesterone monitoring & oestrous
synchronization
 multiple ovulation and embryo transfer
 sexing of semen and embryos

4. Genetics, Breeding, Reproduction
and Conservation
 Molecular Genetics
 Characterization regarding genetic variation
 marker assisted selection
 Conservation of genetic resources and diversity
 Cryopreservation techniques
 Transgenic animals
 Gene transfer, “Knock-in”, “Knock-out”

5. Nutrition and Production
 Microbial cultures; Fermentation
 ↑ quality of silage and digestibility of other feeds
 pre- and pro-biotics
 improve feed quality
 Inhibit pathogens, increase immunity
 Growth promoters; Metabolic modifiers
 Recombinant somatotropin, repartitioning agents
 Single cell proteins
 Feeds grown in the lab
 Amino acids in poultry feed

6. Nutrition and Production
 Genetic manipulation of plants
 Increase digestibility, reduce anti-nutrients
 Decrease P & N excretion (phytate, amino acids)
 Genetic manipulation of rumen microbes
 Improved fermentation, metabolism and
utilization
 Use of micro-organisms
 including recombinant DNA technology
 Recombinant bacteria
 enzyme and hormone production
 increased productivity or decreased
environmental impact

7. Animal Health
 Disease diagnosis
 monoclonal antibodies: RIA and ELISA
 molecular biology
 DNA/RNA probes, PCR, DNA microarrays
 more precision to distinguish infected from
vaccinated
 Molecular epidemiology
 Nucleotide sequencing of pathogens

8. Animal Health
 Vaccination
 conventional
 Recombinant DNA technology
 increased specificity, stability and safety
 Sterile insect technique
 vector borne-diseases

9. Emerging technologies
 Stem cell technologies
 Embryonic and adult stem cells
 Therapeutic uses (xeno-transplants, etc.)
 Metagenomics (Ecogenomics)
 Genetic material derived from environmental samples
 Biotherapeutics
 Proteins from transgenic animals and plants
 Nanotechnologies
 Nanomedicine (disease diagnosis, vaccine development)
 Nanopharmacology (delivery of drugs)
 Nanotoxicology (toxicity of nanomaterials)

10. Animal products
 Food quality
 Selective breeding for changes in constituents, consistency,
egg-shell quality, etc.
 Food processing
 Fermentation: microorganisms and/or enzymes
 Dairy products: culture organisms
 Food safety and testing
 Diagnostics, Identify contaminants
 Traceability of origin
 Animals as ‘Bioreactors’
 Recombinant products
 Proteins, pharmaceuticals, vaccines
 Animals as organ donors for humans
 Xeno-transplantation

11. Biotechnologies in Aquaculture

12. Genetics and Breeding
 Identify advantageous genes
 Improved growth, early maturity
 Improved flesh quality (nutritional value, taste, texture and
appearance)
 Increased resistance to stress, pathogens and temperature
changes
 Marker-assisted breeding
 Transgenics
 Injection of DNA in to eggs or somatic cells
 Conservation of genetic resources
 Spermatogonial transplantation

13. Reproduction
 Sterile populations
 Mono-sex, haploid, triploid
 Gynogenesis, androgenesis to develop inbred
individuals, hybridization
 Prevent escapees influencing biodiversity
 Reducing age at maturation
 Overcoming seasonality
 Improving gamete quality and management
 Storage (cryopreservation, vernalization)
 In vitro fertilization

14. Marine Organisms
 Marine fishery
 Sustainable harvesting; Conservation decisions Population
genetic structure; Evolutionary Significant Units (ESUs);
Effective population size (Ne)
 Processing
 Marine invertebrates
 Food
 Macro- and micro-algae
 Food
 Pharmaceuticals, Polysaccharides
 Bioremediation

15. Reasons for Success
Complementary factors in place
 Technical capacity
 Institutional support and cooperation
 Other technologies
 animal health and nutrition
 Availability to markets
 sell increased production
 support investment in the technologies

16. Expect for success
Biotechnologies build upon existing conventional technologies
Biotechnologies integrated with other relevant components of
livestock production
Application of biotech supported within a national livestock
development programme
Appropriate models to ensure accessibility by resource poor farmers
Public-private partnerships to increase uptake
Public awareness of biotechnologies enhanced by providing
science-based information regarding their efficacy, safety, costs and
benefits in the development context

17. Things need to be considered
 Productivity or yield per animal or per unit of land
or feed
 Costs Vs. Benefits
 Sustainable use of natural resources
 Conserving resources and biodiversity
 Preserving the environment
 Food security for the poor
 Availability and price
 Demands of increasingly discerning consumers
 Food quality and safety

18.  Infrastructure
 Policies, regulatory framework, institutions, investment
 Human resources
 Education, training, communication, collaboration,
remuneration, recognition, retention
 Equipment and supplies
 Procurement, maintenance, replacement
 Communication, Collaboration & IPR
 Mechanism for monitoring, evaluation, adaptation
Things need to be considered

19. The Role of the
International Community
 Framework for international cooperation
 Financial support for generation, adaptation and adoption
of technologies
 Integration of biotech within overall national livestock
development programmes
 with respect to wider development objectives
 Improved international cooperation
 North-South
 South-South
 Consistent and long-term funding
 aim toward self-sustainability

20. Thank you