Insights from Using Light Whole Genome Next-Generation Sequencing in Companion Animals

New sequencing technologies have revolutionised genetic research in recent years. With limited research funding available, our laboratory has skipped DNA capture steps in analysis to focus on whole-genome sequencing in companion animal species. While only employing light sequencing coverage, typically only one half of an Illumina HiSeq 2000 lane per animal, we have successfully detected mutations for mapped loci and have been able to learn more about the genomic biology of our companion animal species.

In this presentation vignettes from some of the projects underway in our laboratory are presented and some of the new and sometimes surprising findings from our research are reported. These include projects relating to the nature of functional coding variants in dog breeds, mutation mapping for newly identified inherited disorders in the dog, the dog as a model for human birth defects and the mapping of genetic disorders in the cat.