Method for genomic selection

Currently, genome wide association studies and genomic selection are often conducted using purebred populations. Estimation and often validation of SNP effects are carried out using a select elite set of purebred animals. However, it fails at various degrees when these SNP estimates are used for genomic prediction in different breeds or crossbred animals. This situation is very challenging to segments of livestock industry (beef cattle, swine or poultry) where the traits of interest are measured in crossbred or mixed population with uncertain breed composition. UGA animal and dairy scientists decided to use SNP effects estimated using purebred animals to infer their estimates in crossbred populations. Their hypothesis is that, given a breed composition of a given individual, is it possible to estimate the SNP effect in this crossbred animal through projection. Having the SNP effects in the purebreds and the composition of the crossbred animals, the estimates of an SNP effect in subpopulation of crossbred animals is obtained indirectly through a projection equation. The results are promising based on simulated data, so the procedure is being evaluated using real chicken data.