Here you can find an overview of the research projects in which our Chair is actively involved. Our current portfolio includes projects funded by the European Research Council (ERC), the German Research Foundation (DFG), and the Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Tourism.
The Yellow Franconian Cattle is an endangered native cattle breed with high genetic value for sustainable cattle breeding.
The Yellow Franconian Cattle (German Gelbvieh) is one of Germany's endangered native cattle breeds and represents a valuable component of genetic diversity in cattle breeding. The goal of the "GenomikGelbvieh" project was to make modern molecular genetic methods accessible for this breed, thereby establishing the foundation for an innovative, genomics-based conservation breeding program.
Within the scope of the project, a genomic infrastructure was established for the Yellow Franconian Cattle for the first time. This included setting up sample logistics, genotyping animals using SNP-chip technology, and providing results to the breeding association, breeders, and the research community. In parallel, genetic particularities, deleterious alleles, and pedigree relationships were investigated to safeguard the breed's genetic diversity over the long term and to support practical breeding work.
The project was coordinated by the Chair of Animal Systems Genomics at LMU Munich and funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Tourism. The project's success was made possible through close and trusted collaboration among all partners involved. Particular acknowledgment is due to the Cattle Breeding Association Franconia (Rinderzuchtverband Franken), the Institute of Animal Breeding at the Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture, the Landeskuratorium der Erzeugerringe für tierische Veredelung in Bayern e.V., ZuchtData GmbH, and Tierzuchtforschung e.V. Munich, whose considerable commitment was decisive to the project's successful completion.
The project successfully achieved its core objectives and established the foundation for a modern, genomics-based conservation breeding program for the Yellow Franconian Cattle.
Key results at a glance:
The insights gained from this project form the basis for an already-initiated follow-up project, in which new genomic approaches are being developed to ensure the long-term preservation of genetic diversity in the Yellow Franconian Cattle and to further optimize conservation breeding strategies.