News

The Ann T. Bowling Fellowship was established by the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory (VGL) in memory of Dr. Ann Bowling, who was a pioneer in veterinary genetics. In line with the VGL’s mission to promote and enhance research and education in animal genetics, this fellowship provides one year of support to full-time graduate students in UC Davis Ph.D. programs whose research is directed at identifying and understanding the genetic basis of heritable disorders that afflict animal species.

The field of genetics has enabled us to predict susceptibility to heritable diseases and map the genome of many species. Now, modern genetics and the birth of a unique foal in New Zealand has provided a successful example of tracking a mutation at its origin.

The study done by researchers at the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory (VGL) provide a baseline for assessing and managing genetic diversity in the American Standardbred horse. The American Standardbred was selectively bred for harness racing and, today, there are two gaits that these horses race at: the trot and the pace. The trot is a two-beat diagonal gait whereas the pace is a two-beat lateral gate.

The study is the first to investigate potential risk factors for equine recurrent uveitis in the Icelandic horse and sheds light into the genetic factors behind disease development in the breed.

A recent study sheds new light on the prevalence and penetrance of the missense mutation in the type 2X myosin heavy chain (MYH1) gene that is associated with myosin-heavy chain myopathy (MYHM) in Quarter Horses. The UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory offers a genetic test for MYHM and reports the presence of this mutation as My and the absence of this mutation as N.

The Veterinary Genetics Laboratory is excited to announce a new Agouti test that better explains the different coat color patterns seen in dogs.