Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC)
Activities: Research and development.
Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) is a breeding company dedicated to the improvement of the dairy cow for the benefit of New Zealand dairy farmers. In order to achieve this goal, LIC has invested large sums into gene discovery and biotechnology technologies.
For example, the Innovation Group at LIC is working on understanding the genetic make-up of the dairy cow. The aim is to identify genetic combinations associated with characteristics such as milk quality and production, fertility, and feed conversion efficiency.
They also work on identifying genes associated with disease resistance (mastitis, viral diseases, facial eczema, etc).
LIC’s scientists use the latest technologies to reach their goals: Genome scans to identify significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), microarrays to analyse gene expression patterns, and proteomics to identify key metabolic pathways.
An example of recent work is the development of a genetic test to identify the type of casein protein a cow will produce in her milk. To find out more, go to Testing for the casein gene.
- Web Address:
- www.lic.co.nz
- Type:
- Company
- Contact:
-
Corner Ruakura and Morrinsville Roads
Newstead
Private Bag 3016
Hamilton
Phone: 0800 651 156
