Animal Science (ASCI)

Description: Orientation in the animal science graduate program involving introduction to departmental research program, philosophy, and policies. Discussion of elements of an effective seminar; experience and critique in oral presentation of research data.

Description: Science and technology of modern meat processing. Utilization of meat, non-meat ingredients, and processing techniques and their impact on processed meat characteristics. Laboratory provides hands-on application with the preparation, development, and evaluation of processed meats products.

Description: Meat processing and fabrication technology. Practical application of tenderization, restructuring, freezing, dehydration, flavor modification, composition control and quality control technology to manufactured and processed meat products.

Description: Conduct independent research and study meat industry problems in processing, production, storage, and preparation of meat and meat products.

Description: Nutritional requirements of and complete ration formulation for feedlot cattle. Management practices needed for successful feedlot operation.

Description: Advanced course dealing with the nutrition of domestic animals. In-depth coverage of nutrients, nutrient metabolism, and nutrient requirements. Biochemical and physiological functions of nutrients in life processes.

Description: Feeding practices for domestic animals. Applied animal nutrition and feed formulation.

Description: The chemical characteristics of forage components. The interactions with ruminant physiology and digestion that influence forage feeding value. The laboratory procedures used to evaluate forages for grazing livestock.

Description: Application of genetic principles to animal breeding. Critical examination of current and potential selection programs and crossbreeding systems. Determination of performance objectives. Expected responses to selection methods and dissemination of improvement in an industry.

Description: Theoretical and practical aspects of: structure and function of eukaryotic genomes; genome sequencing and assembling, polymorphism and isoform detection and genotyping; gene and genome annotation; strategies used to identify genetic variants responsible for phenotypic differences; and personalized genomics, social and ethical aspects associated with genomic information.

Description: Mammalian early embryonic development. Basic aspects of embryology and development biology. Modern technologies in animal reproductive biology, in vitro maturation and fertilization, embryo transfer, cloning, assisted reproductive technologies, transgenic animals, and embryonic stem cells.

Description: Mammalian endocrine glands from the standpoint of their structure, their physiological function in relation to the organism, the chemical nature and mechanisms of action of their secretory products, and the nature of anomalies manifested with their dysfunction.

Description: Molecular, cellular, and tissue dependent functions of neurons, skeletal and smooth muscle, vasculature, and immune cells. Cellular regulation of important physiological processes including blood flow, gas exchange, inorganic solute homeostasis, acid-base balance, water balance, appetite control, and thermal regulation will also be studied. Understand cellular and molecular processes that ensure homeostasis and promote integration of physiological systems.

Description: Learn the fundamental knowledge of the animal immune system, and how to utilize immunology to improve animal health and production. Become familiar with common immunoassays, immunological diseases and immunotherapy.

Description: Mammalian physiology and cellular mechanisms. Physiology of the cell, embryology, and neuro-sensory, neuromuscular, endocrine, and reproductive systems.

Description: Mammalian physiology and cellular mechanisms. Physiology of the digestive, cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal systems.

Description: The contributions and interactions of the major academic disciplines upon the production, performance, health, profitability, and sustainability of beef cow and cattle feeding operations.

Description: The contributions and interactions of the major academic disciplines upon the production, performance, health, profitability, and sustainability of beef cow and cattle feeding operations.

Description: Analyzing the plant and animal resources and economic aspects of pasturage. Management of pasture and range for continued high production emphasized.

Description: Principles in matrix algebra to describe and solve problems in the agricultural and life sciences, and particularly quantitative genetics. Material includes vocabulary, concepts, and, to a lesser extent, theory of matrix algebra, with application to ecological systems, genotypic transition matrices, selection indices, and the numerator relationship matrix. With matrix algebra, use least squares procedures and canonical transformation to solve problems in biological sciences.

Description: Language and foundational principles of quantitative genetics. Material includes basic model for quantitative genetics (additive and non-additive genetic effects, including Mendelian sampling, and environmental effects), sources of variation, heritability, family resemblance and repeatability, selection response, and family selection. Define expected values and concepts in applied statistics.

Description: Theory and application of selection indices. Material includes design of animal breeding programs, estimating selection response, constructing economic selection indices, and developing multiple-stage selection strategies. Introduces approaches for deriving economic weights, and predicting economic response to selection.

Description: Principles for developing an economic basis for multiple-trait selection to improve the profitability of production. Material includes review of concepts relevant to the selection index, introduction to the concept of systems analysis, linear programming, and simulation with emphasis on economic values useful for selection index. Critically analyze relevant literature.

Description: Principles of linear models used in animal breeding. Models discussed in the context of the random variable that is to be predicted. Material includes animal models, sire/maternal grandsire models, and sire models, models with a single and repeated records, and models with both direct and maternal effects.

Description: Principles for using best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) in genetic prediction. Material includes data integrity diagnosis, contemporary grouping strategies, adjusting for known non-genetic effects, the AWK Programming Language, UNIX/Linux scripting, and use of modern computational tools to perform genetic evaluations. Emphasis on real-world datasets designed to develop applied analytical skills in animal breeding.

Description: Principles in the estimation of (co)variance components and genetic parameters required to solve mixed models typical in livestock genetics. Focus on applied knowledge of approaches used to estimate the G and R sub-matrices of the mixed model equations. Demonstrate models commonly used in parameter estimation. Introduce scientific literature concerning implementation, and attributes of the solutions, of variance component estimation strategies.

Description: Methods for incorporating genetic marker information into selection decisions in livestock. Consider statistical methodologies necessary to analyze large data available from new DNA technologies related to livestock genomes. Material includes recombination, single-gene tests, molecular breeding values, suggested producer guidelines for use of the technologies, and incorporation of genomic information into genetic prediction procedures.

Description: Methodologies for using genetic markers to identify Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) and for estimating marker-trait associations in livestock populations. Material includes the basics of linkage and linkage disequilibrium, alternate designs or population structures for QTL mapping, and statistical methods for QTL detection and genome-wide association analyses. Introduce properties and requirements of alternate designs and analysis strategies.

Description: Extend concepts of marker association analyses to the translation of genetic markers into functional changes in the animal genome, and impacts on animal performance, in livestock genetic improvement programs. Material includes introduction to the tools used to generate genomic data, and application of key bioinformatics websites and databases to identify causative genetic variation, and to develop gene pathways and networks

Description: Principles of genetic selection and mating strategies applied in livestock breeding programs. Through use of a web-based genetic simulation game (CyberSheep), develop skills in implementing a virtual animal breeding program, assess the outcomes of decision-making in terms of genetic response, inbreeding, and economic returns, and experience stochastic elements inherent to livestock systems.

Description: Historical perspective to the discipline of animal breeding and genetics. Introduction to the contributions of geneticists who have significantly impacted the discipline. Material includes pre-recorded interviews of scientists that have had an international impact in animal breeding and genetics. Critique key papers.

Description: Principles of heterosis and mating systems utilizing crossbreeding. Material includes models for breed and crossbreeding effects, genetic basis of heterosis, recombination effects, composite populations, estimation of crossbreeding parameters, applications of line breeding and line crossing, and evaluation and utilization of crossbreeding systems.

Description: Principles in the prediction and control of inbreeding in livestock breeding program. Material includes definition of inbreeding and identity by descent, impacts of inbreeding on genotype frequencies, trait means and variances, random drift, computation of inbreeding coefficients in pedigreed populations, prediction of rates of inbreeding in closed populations, and control and management of inbreeding in breeding populations.

Description: Introduction to the R environment for statistical computing, including use of R as a high-level programming language and as a gateway for more formal low-level languages. Material includes language structure, basic and advanced data manipulation, statistical analysis with R, and using R as a programming language.

Description: Principles of Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods in animal breeding. Materials include random variable generation, Monte Carlo integration, stochastic search, Expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm and Monte Carlo EM, Markov Chain principles, Metropolis-Hastings algorithm, Gibbs sample, and MCMC for genomic data. Illustrations developed using R software.

Description: Individual or group projects in research, literature review, or extension of course work under the supervision and evaluation of a departmental faculty member.

Description: Design, develop and complete a project that requires synthesis of the course topics covered in the primary area of emphasis.

Description: Current problems in the field of animal industry.

Description: Molecular events occurring during the conversion of muscle to meat. Molecular and cellular properties of meat responsible for the functional and palatability properties of meat products.

Description: Growth and development of livestock animals with emphasis on the prenatal and postnatal differentiation and development of skeletal muscle, bone, and adipose tissue; organ growth discussed. Recent literature as well as classical concepts of animal growth discussed along with the genetic, hormonal, and nutritional factors that affect growth.

Description: Presentation and discussion of current literature and research in the field of nutrition.

Description: Nutrient metabolism and utilization by ruminant animals for maintenance, growth, finishing, reproduction and lactation. Major emphasis on protein and energy.

Description: Offered even-numbered calendar years. Analytic procedures and research methods used in evaluating biochemical components and nutritive value of forages. An evaluation of the impact of forage quality on forage breeding and animal performance.

Description: Critically evaluate how research in bioenergetics has contributed to scientific discoveries in the fields of nutrition, biochemistry, and physiology. Methodologies for determination of human and animal energy expenditure and body composition. Specifically, direct calorimetry, indirect calorimetry and comparative slaughter techniques. Emphasis on components of organ and tissue energy expenditures. Background information important in other nutrition courses.

Description: Nutrition and metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids by animals and humans. Emphasis on fundamental principles and current concepts.

Description: Nutrition and metabolism of proteins and amino acids by animals and humans. Fundamental principles and current concepts.

Description: Structure of populations, forces affecting gene frequency and frequency of genotypes, continuous variation, population values and means, genotypic and environmental variances and covariances.

Description: Use of biometrical and population genetics and related physiology, nutrition, pathology, meats, and economics, to develop intrapopulation breeding methods capable of increasing the net bio-economic efficiency of animal production.

Description: Evaluation of methods for developing and exploiting genetic diversity among animal populations to improve bio-economic efficiency of animal production.

Description: Quantitative genetic analysis of complex traits. Quantitative methodologies for connecting phenotypes with high-dimensional genomic information to understand polygenic traits from both prediction and inference perspectives.

Description: Introduction to overnutrition and its complications during maternal obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Description: Offered odd-numbered calendar years. Interrelationships of nutrients, nutritional state and metabolic processes. Energy metabolism, integration of nutrition and metabolism and nutritional regulation of gene function.

Description: Methods employed in livestock production research. Planning and conducting experiments, keeping records, and analysis of data.