<i>UNIMELB_KUDRIASHOVA-Anastasiia_VYT-LOCAL-2025</i>.mp4
<p dir="ltr">Transition cow health plays a critical role in dairy productivity and longevity, yet current breeding approaches insufficiently address challenges faced during this period. This project investigates the biological underpinnings of transition diseases in dairy cows by identifying blood-based biomarkers and their genetic associations. An initial case-control study compared serum biomarkers from 200 clinically ill transition cows to healthy controls. Significant differences were observed, particularly in markers of energy metabolism (BHB, NEFA, glucose) and inflammation (albumin, globulin, albumin-globulin ratio), highlighting their potential as intermediate phenotypes. Clinically ill cows exhibited signs of systemic inflammation and metabolic disruption. Building on these findings, the project will incorporate proteomics, metabolomics, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify novel biomarkers and genetic variants associated with transition cow diseases. This integrative, multi-omics approach aims to enhance genomic selection tools and support the development of more resilient, healthier dairy herds.</p><p dir="ltr">Wouldn’t it be great if, every time you poured milk into your latte, you knew no cow suffered to make it? Unfortunately, dairy cows get sick, especially around calving, in what's called the transition period, when close to 75% of dairy diseases occur. But what if we could predict which cows stay healthy during that critical time... just from their DNA? That’s the idea behind a Genomic Breeding Value<b> </b><b>-</b> a DNA based score that estimates how resistant a cow might be to disease. My goal: find the genes that really matter for transition-period resilience, so farmers can choose calves with the strongest scores for health and productivity. I compare blood from cows that stayed healthy to those that got sick after calving. Using a multi-omics approach studying DNA, RNA, proteins, lipids and metabolites. I uncover biological signals linked to disease resistance. This helps us improve cows’ health prediction at birth and support farmers in breeding cows that are healthier, happier, and live longer.</p>
