- Analysis of candidate genes influencing egg quality traits of laying hens.
- The study of polymorphism of microsatellite markers in ratites (ostriches, emus and rheas).
- Genetic and molecular studies of farm animals showing impaired fertility and birth defects:
- cytogenetic and molecular studies of preserved cattle breeds in conservative herds;
- genetic molecular markers in studies of fertility of wild and domesticated animals and their use for the optimization of programs of protection, breeding systems and reintroduction of endangered species.
- Studies of expression of genes associated with beef quality.
- Analyses of gene expression profiles in various stages of ontogenetic development of cattle in regard to carcass conformation and meat quality.
- Analyses of polymorphism in the coding and regulatory regions of genes involved in the miogenesis in cattle and pigs, aimed to determine the effect of mutations detected in the binding sites of transcription factors on expression genes and final protein products in muscles.
- Evaluation of genetic factors that determine the behavior of animals with particular emphasis on pain perception and depression
- Searching for the relation between genes’ polymorphism and production traits in pigs.
- Searching for the correlations between the expression level of genes and their impact on the metabolic pathways involved in the development of muscle tissue and porcine reproductive processes.
- Studies using expression microarrays to identify differences in gene expression between different tissues of pigs.
- Biodiversity in farm and wild species detected with the analysis of the nuclear and mitochondrial genes polymorphism. Recognizing the genetic resources of local domesticated breeds, as well as wild species threatened with extinction, use of molecular data to optimize conservation programs.
- Diagnostics of genetic diseases in animals.
- Studies on impact of feeding genetically modified crops on animals performance traits, as well as nutritional value of obtained products (eggs and meat) on the Japanese quail model.
Moreover, the continued forms of activity of the Department are the diagnostic – application works, performed for the needs of breeders. Offer in this area is successively developed with new elements based on the progress of the basic research. In the Department performed are analyses of DNA markers and in the field of parentage control of Thoroughbreds and Arabian horses the Department participates in the international co-operation under the auspices of ISAG (unification of markers, acceptance of analytical methods, and verification of the results quality in cyclic comparison tests arranged by the ISAG). The international certificates issued by the Department are the base of inscription of the horses to Stud Books. For the national animal breeding programme the economically important genomic mutation of pigs - the MHS syndrome is identified by the genotyping of the pig RYR1 gene.
