Livestock Gentec Strategic Framework

Vison: Gentec is a globally recognized leader, providing genomic solutions for the challenges (competitiveness, sustainability and social license) facing Canada's livestock industry.

Mission: Gentec is an Alberta centre of excellence focused on applied research aligned with industry-identified priorities to validate, demonstrate, and adopt transformative genomic solutions to improve the global competitiveness (economic, social, and environmental) of the Canadian beef and pork sectors.

The principles that guide Livestock Gentec to deliver its mission include the core values: Trust, Excellence, Learning, and Leadership (TELL).

 

Focus 1: Excellence in local applied research and application

  • Goal: become a trusted source of industry-led research and KTT services, partnering with existing entities and targeting genetic improvement in beef and pork
  • Initiatives
    • Improve connectivity with stakeholders
    • Industry engagement for research priorities
    • Development of genomic tools

Focus 2: Excellence in global research collaboration

  • Goal: Increase the breadth and depth of international, academic and industry research conducted
  • Initiatives
    • Annual meetings of the International Industry and Scientific Advisory Committee (IISAC)
    • Continue to pursue international collaborative research projects when there is a clear benefit to industry

Focus 3: Excellence in recruitment, training and placement of highly qualified personnel

  • Goal: establish Gentec as a top choice for graduate training and placement in industry
  • Initiatives
    • Differentiate Gentec as an industry collaborative program for students
    • Increase exposure of students to industry for future placement
    • Develop a collaborative network of Alumni

Industry & Scientific Advisory Committee (ISAC) 2022

Gentec reconvened its international ISAC in 2022 to assess its programming, operations and future initiatives. Overall, the ISAC agreed that Gentec continues to excel in innovative, world-class research programming, and has a strong track record of local and international collaborations across academia and industry. Gentec was also commended on its training program, which produces an exceptional number of highly-qualified personnel (HQP), many of whom continue their career in high-impact industry and academic positions. Several recommendations for continued improvement were made. The report summary can be viewed here.

 

Previous Advisory and Strategy Documents

Livestock Gentec Annual Report 2017

Livestock Gentec is pleased to present our annual report for 2017 (here).

These are certainly interesting times in the world of genomics and livestock.  We are now including the impact of forages and their management on the efficiency of beef cattle—and how the two synergize to create ecosystem-wide benefits such as better carbon sequestration. We are commercializing a tool (EnVigour HX™) that allows producers to determine—and maximize—the hybrid vigour of their herds, their productivity and profitability. We even have projects on sheep, bison and cervids, demonstrating very effectively that genomics is for everything and everyone.

We thank our industry partners for their ongoing support, our producer partners for their input, the Gentec team without whom our machinery stops, our stakeholders who see the bigger picture, and everybody who is on board help us provide high-quality, nutritious animal products in a humane, sustainable way through genomics.

Canadian Beef Improvement Network (CBIN) – Strategy Document

Wickham, December 2015.

Report prepared for Livestock Gentec by ConsultWickham.

Funding provided by Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA).

This report explored the concept of a Canadian Beef Improvement Network (CBIN) to provide the analysis and information tools required to deliver optimal contributions from genetic improvement to the Canadian beef industry in a consolidated and efficient manner. It concludes that CBIN is both needed and feasible. A series of steps to establish CBIN are set out in the report.

International Industry Scientific Advisory Committee (IISAC)

February 2015.

Report prepared by IISAC members for Livestock Gentec

IISAC members were provided background information describing research that was both underway and planned at Livestock Gentec. Members of the Committee met to address each of the terms of reference of the review. There was unanimous and strong support amongst the IISAC for the excellent progress that has been achieved since the last IISAC meeting in October 2012. A number of recommendations for continued success and improvement of the Centre were discussed. The resulting report is available for public review.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Genomic Tools for the Alberta Beef Industry

Fennessy et al., 2013.

Report prepared for Livestock Gentec by AbacusBio Limited.

Funding provided by Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA).

Livestock Gentec is engaged in helping ensure that Alberta (and Canada) are global leaders in profitable and environmentally-sustainable beef production. The objective of this project was to estimate the potential value of applying genomic technologies in the industry. The authors assessed the impact of the application of genomic technologies, before considering opportunities to focus genomics research on traits expected to provide the greatest benefit. A framework for the evaluation and application of potential best practices in the use of genomic tools are discussed in the report.