Animals are important for food security, providing us with milk, eggs, and meat, but as the world's population grows faster, so does the demand for animal products, putting pressure on both farmers and the environment. Raising more and more animals is not an option; it would put even more pressure on an already stressed environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The solution lies in increasing the productivity of the animals. This is usually done by selecting and breeding superior animals; however, this is a slow process, and determining the production potential of these animals can take several years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, thanks to advances in genomics, it is possible to estimate the production potential of an animal on the day it is born, simply by looking at its DNA or genomic map. Watch the animation and you will see how.<\/p>\n\n\n\n