The collaboration brings together the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), The US National Beef Cattle Evaluation Consortium (NBCEC), the University of Guelph (Canada), the University of Alberta, Edmonton (Canada), the US National Beef Cattleman’s Association (NBCA), the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) and the Beef CRC, through its participants and supporting participants.

Beef CRC chief executive officer, Dr Heather Burrow, said the release of the entire bovine genome sequence in 2006 has radically changed the way DNA markers are discovered.

“Prior to the release of the sequence, a small number of DNA markers with relatively large sizes of effect had been discovered,” Dr Burrow said.

“Since the release of the sequence though, it is clear that hundreds or perhaps thousands of DNA markers, each with a very small effect, are associated with the economically important attributes of cattle.”

She said as a result, thousands of accurately recorded animals are required to discover and validate new DNA markers.

Dr Burrow said the international collaboration will strengthen the scientific capacity by doubling or even trebling the numbers of animals available to the researchers.

Rather than discovering markers in 200-400 animals, the new markers will be discovered in at least 3000 animals.

They will then be confirmed in at least another 3000 independent animals and finally validated in 15,000 animals before they are released to industry.

“This will give producers the confidence they need to use the markers to genetically test their herds.”

Dr Burrow is excited about the opportunities this partnership will bring to Australia, and does not believe it will erode Australia’s trade advantage.

“We could have developed our own markers in-house. But it would take 10 years to do what we will now do in two,” she said.