EcoGen Webinar Series

Episode 1 - Transforming Livestock Systems Through Integrated Research

The inaugural webinar introduced the EcoGen Cluster providing an overview of its five collaborative projects and their collective mission to revolutionise sustainable livestock production. Project leaders discussed key research themes, expected outcomes, and opportunities for collaboration.

Topics:

  • Introduction to EcoGen and its five projects

  • Research synergies and interdisciplinary integration

  • Opportunities for stakeholder engagement

Episode 2 - Resilience and Adaptation: Innovative Strategies for Sustainable Livestock

With climate change posing increasing challenges, this session explored how livestock systems can adapt to environmental pressures through breeding, feeding strategies, and genetic resilience. Experts highlighted innovative research on breed diversity, genetic responses to heat stress, and sustainable feed solutions.

Topics:

  • Feeding strategies for resilience and environmental impact reduction

  • Genetic mechanisms for heat stress adaptation

  • Local breed conservation for climate resilience

This seminar deeps dive into how ethics, social perspectives, and stakeholder engagement can shape the future of livestock research in Europe.

Topics:

  • Need for collaboration between technical experts, the general public, and NGOs to address societal and ethical issues in animal breeding

  • Role of public values, ethical boundaries, and citizen engagement in guiding responsible innovation in animal breeding

  • Perspectives of farmers and consumers on microbiome innovations and their impact on real-world adoption in livestock farming

Episode 3 - Genetic Diversity and Conservation Preserving Livestock Genetic Resources

During the webinar we will discuss local breeds and their importance in different regions, problems they are facing and opportunities they are bringing to sustainable and resilient livestock systems.  

Topics:

  • Characterisation and management of local breeds

  • Conservation breeding strategies for genetic diversity

  • Advances in genetic rescue and enhancement

Episode 4 - Advancing Animal Health Through Microbiome Research

Microbiomes play a vital role in livestock health, welfare, and productivity. This webinar delved into multi-omics approaches for understanding microbiome diversity and its potential to improve animal health and performance.

Topics:

  • Multi-omics characterisation of microbiomes

  • Microbiome-driven strategies for improved health and welfare

  • Genomic and metagenomic approaches in microbiome research

Episode 5 - Social Perspectives and Ethical Innovations: Ethical Considerations and Stakeholder Engagement in Livestock Research

Episode 6 - Beyond Traditional Breeding. Part 1

This episode explores how omics and genomic innovations are transforming livestock breeding and sustainability.

Topics:

  • Metabolomics as a tool for uncovering genetic factors influencing pig metabolism, feed efficiency, and resilience

  • Genomic and metagenomic selection strategies to reduce methane emissions while improving feed efficiency in dairy cows

  • Holo-omics approaches to understand rumen microbial communities and their role in animal biology

  • Use of non-invasive in vitro cell models to study genetic resistance traits in dairy cattle

  • Integration of epigenetic information into cattle breeding to capture maternal environmental effects on offspring traits

Episode 7 - Beyond Traditional Breeding. Part 2

This session dives into how genome and epigenome editing can support more resilient and sustainable livestock, through a responsible innovation lens.

Topics:

  • New frontiers in epigenome editing and what they could mean for animal breeding

  • The RUMIGEN case study on PRNP goats and resistance to disease

  • How to integrate gene-edited variants into genomic prediction models

  • The importance of societal acceptance and responsible innovation