Considering it is only 16 months since EQB, Inc. trumpeted that “(T)his year EQB adds DNA genetic profiling to its bag of tricks” we were rather surprised to receive an e-mail blast from them this week with the headline “DNA testing – re: state of the science (underwhelming).” Further reading revealed that the statement, which appears to blithely dismiss a whole field of scientific endeavor, is based on an article titled “ ’Moonshot’ Medicine Will Let Us Down” written by Mich

We were asked to pen a column for the International Thoroughbred magazine on some of our thoughts on using statistics and genetics in thoroughbred selection. It is somewhat similar to our post earlier in the week about the same subject. To read, either click here #PPARGC1a #SpeedGene #MSTN

There were a couple of really interesting abstracts from the ISAG (International Society of Animal Genetics) meeting in Cairns Australia in July this year. Most of these will be at some stage published in Animal Genetics. In light of what is going on in thoroughbred circles right now, these ones caught my eye. S0107 Genetic architecture of complex traits and prediction of genetic value. M. Goddard*1,2, 1University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2Department of P

A lot has been written in the last week in regards to the concept of the ‘speed gene’ and exactly how and when this variant (change or mutation in the DNA code) found itself in the thoroughbred population. Firstly, it must be clearly stated that we don’t take any issue with the science of the paper in terms of how the research was conducted and completed. It was good work. The paper also shows how modern genetics can be useful in solving intriguing questions regarding the his