Dr. Gregor Gorjanc Talked About Population Management and Improvement

The November lecture in the ASEF Speaker Series focused on the topic of population management and improvement. ASEF professor at the lecture, dr. Gregor Gorjanc presented interesting facts from the research that takes place in the HighlanderLab, which he leads. At HighlanderLab, they manage and improve populations using statistics, selection, and genetics, namely in animals, plants, and insects.

At the lecture, dr. Gorjanc introduced the research work they perform in the laboratory to more than 100 listeners in an understandable and accessible way to the general public. In connection with the use of statistics, he used the case of cattle and pointed out that the obtained phenotypic and genomic data play an important role in assessing the genetic values ​​of animals. ASEF Fellow Jana Obšteter is also involved in the genomic selection of cattle. She was a guest lecturer in 2019 through the ASEF Fellowship program and is still active in the laboratory.

The performer then delved into the innovative field of insect selection for feed (black military flies) and food (crickets, silkworms). The lecture ended with a presentation of the work of the laboratory in the field of genetics, namely the case of the disappearance of red squirrels in the UK and the possibility of controlling populations with t.i. gene drives and presented the relevant modeling results according to different scenarios.

The event was organized by ASEF Fellow Špela Barbič.