Cloned bull could contribute to development of disease-resistant African cattle
Africa / Animal Breeding / Article / Biotechnology / Cattle / CTLGH / Disease Control / Genetics / ILRI / Kenya / LiveGene / LIVESTOCKFISH / Project / Spotlight / Trypanosomiasis

Cloned bull could contribute to development of disease-resistant African cattle

A note in a scientific journal gives an update on long-term research to develop African cattle resistant to the Africa animal disease known as trypanosomiasis. The aim of this research is to help reduce widespread poverty and hunger on the continent by improving livestock livelihoods. Continue reading

Culture of the cow: Curds in the city—Better living through smallholder dairying in northern India
Agriculture / Animal Breeding / Animal Production / Animal Products / Biotechnology / Breeds / Buffalo / Cattle / Dairying / Event / Genetics / ILRI / India / Livelihoods / Livestock / Photo / Report / Research / South Asia / Spotlight / Trade

Culture of the cow: Curds in the city—Better living through smallholder dairying in northern India

This is the third in a series of articles on ‘Curds and goats, lives and livelihoods—A dozen stories from northern and eastern India’. Continue reading

Reverse vaccinology identifies candidates for an improved vaccine against cattle pneumonia in Africa
Africa / Article / Biotechnology / Cattle / CBPP / Disease Control / ILRI / ILVAC / Kenya / LIVESTOCKFISH / Spotlight / Vaccines

Reverse vaccinology identifies candidates for an improved vaccine against cattle pneumonia in Africa

We used a reverse vaccinology approach to identify 66 Mmm potential vaccine candidates. The selection and grouping of the antigens was based on the presence of specific antibodies in sera from CBPP-positive animals. The antigens were used to immunize male Boran cattle (Bos indicus) followed by a challenge with the Mmm strain Afadé. Continue reading

Elite buffaloes and other exemplars of advanced Indian dairy science at the National Dairy Research Institute
Agriculture / Animal Breeding / Animal Production / Biotechnology / Breeds / Buffalo / Cattle / Dairying / Event / Genetics / ILRI / India / Livestock / Research / South Asia

Elite buffaloes and other exemplars of advanced Indian dairy science at the National Dairy Research Institute

Shrestha, a spirited buffalo bull, greeted Jimmy Smith, director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), with a low grunt during a visit Smith and his delegation recently made at the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), India’s pre-eminent dairy research centre, located in the northern city of Karnal and the prosperous state of Haryana. Continue reading

Celebrating 15 years of African agricultural biosciences excellence
Africa / Agri-Health / BecA / Biotechnology / Capacity Strengthening / Directorate / Event Report / Food Security / Human Health / ILRI / ILRIComms / Research / Spotlight

Celebrating 15 years of African agricultural biosciences excellence

The #CelebrateBecA event brought together global, regional and local actors in agricultural biosciences research for development to mark the Hub’s achievements and deliberate on further ways to scale its programs and impacts to advance African agriculture and food and nutritional security. Click through the story pages above to get an overview of the celebrations and plenary presentations, or view the same storify on ILRI’s Storify site. Continue reading

The BecA-ILRI Hub celebrates 15 years of biosciences in and for Africa
Africa / BecA / Biotechnology / Capacity Strengthening / Directorate / Event / ILRI / ILRIComms / Research / Spotlight

The BecA-ILRI Hub celebrates 15 years of biosciences in and for Africa

Coming up next week is an event marking the 15th anniversary of the Biosciences eastern and central Africa-International Livestock Research (BecA-ILRI) Hub, located in Nairobi, Kenya, and working with partners across the continent as well as with bioscience institutions worldwide. Continue reading

Towards more productive dairy cattle for Africa’s smallholders
ADGG / Africa / Animal Breeding / Biotechnology / Dairying / East Africa / Ethiopia / Genetics / ILRI / LiveGene / Livestock / LIVESTOCKFISH / Project / Research / Southern Africa / Spotlight / Tanzania

Towards more productive dairy cattle for Africa’s smallholders

Improving the genetic makeup of Africa’s dairy cattle has the potential increase farmer productivity and profitability, hence transform the lives of millions of dairy families across Africa. This latest program, African Dairy Genetic Gains (ADGG) program, led by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), offers real opportunities to help smallholders improve their lives through livestock. It also contributes to ILRI’s global livestock genetics program—LiveGene. Continue reading

Climate-smart livestock farming in developing countries is boosted by a £10-million research award
Africa / Agriculture / Animal Breeding / Article / Award / Biodiversity / Biotechnology / Breeds / Cattle / Chickens / Climate Change / CTLGH / Directorate / Genetics / Goats / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / LiveGene / LIVESTOCKFISH / Pro-Poor Livestock / Project / Research / Sheep / Small Ruminants / Spotlight / UK

Climate-smart livestock farming in developing countries is boosted by a £10-million research award

Researchers at the Roslin Institute will be using funds from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to investigate how genetic information can improve the health and productivity of farmed animals in tropical climates, which is a proven approach to climate change mitigation and adaptation. The Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health is an alliance between the Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and the Africa-headquartered International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). The partner institutions are making additional contributions with a value of £10 million to support the initiative over the next five years. Continue reading

Why communicate agricultural science to non-specialists? A brief for livestock geneticists
Africa / Animal Breeding / Biodiversity / Biotechnology / Breeds / Communications / Event Report / Genetics / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / LiveGene

Why communicate agricultural science to non-specialists? A brief for livestock geneticists

At a recent workshop co-hosted by an NGO called Biosciences for Farming in Africa (B4FA) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), in Nairobi, Kenya, ILRI communications staff Susan MacMillan made a short presentation on why the 20-plus animal geneticists in the room should bother communicating their science to non-specialists.   The big picture ‘A … Continue reading