Iranian Researcher Launches 1st Iranian Goat Genome Variation Database

“Genome Analysis of Native Iranian Goat Ecotypes Using Next Generation Sequencing Technology,” is the title of post-doctoral dissertation done by "Zeinab Amiri Qanat Saman" at Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, which was sponsored by Iran National Science Foundation (INSF), according to INSF website’s report.

The researcher thoroughly analyzed the genome of native Iranian goats and showed their structure, the report said

She also determined the difference between the genome of native Iranian goats and their foreign counterparts. As a result, her research can be considered a road map for those who want to do eugenics.

“In recent years, the use of new technologies of molecular genetics has been considered as a suitable method to collect data on the characteristics of populations; therefore, the use of technology helps a lot to identify the genetic characteristics of populations and plan for their genetic protection and breeding. Our country is also one of the oldest centers of domestication and breeding of livestock and poultry species in the world,” Amiri Qanat Saman, who has a PhD in animal science - genetics and animal breeding from the Shahid Bahonar University, said.

“Currently, there are different ecotypes of native goats in different geographical regions across the country that are clearly different in terms of their appearance and production characteristics from other ecotypes. However, in recent years, the cultivation and maintenance of these native ecotypes has faced challenges such as the reduction of population size, the destruction of natural habitats, and the reduction of villagers' tendency to keep them,” she continued.

“Accordingly, I felt the need to identify biological patterns and protect these genetic resources, which requires improving record keeping systems, identifying genetic diversity at the genome level, creating a genome database and designing programs for exploitation and protecting them. In this research, for the first time, the whole genome sequencing data was used to identify the characteristics of the genome of goat ecotypes native to Iran.”

“In this research, with the aim of prioritizing genetic protection programs, the obtained genomic information was utilzed to calculate indices such as diversity within and between races, to calculate the inbreeding coefficient and their genetic structure,” she also said.

The postdoctoral researcher pointed to identifying genetic variants in ecotypes of native Iranian goats using the information obtained from whole genome sequencing, identifying regions for the genomes of native Iranian goats, and creating the first genome database of native Iranian goats using whole genome sequencing data as the objectives of her research project.

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