Functional genomics: applications to production agriculture.

Abstract

Functional genomics enables agricultural researchers to investigate how gene expression and regulation contributes to complex production traits at a genome-wide level. There are many different techniques for utilizing functional genomic approaches and new high-throughput technologies are accelerating the amount and complexity of data collected from functional genomics experiments. In this review, we highlight some of the different areas of functional genomics, including some emerging techniques, with a specific focus on how they are being applied to production livestock and aquaculture systems. We look at how transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, interactomics, epigenetics and nutrigenomics are applied to improve our understanding of complex production traits and how the environment affects these traits. We also discuss how changing technologies contribute to functional genomics and the resources agricultural researchers require to ensure that their functional genomics data are effectively translated into benefits for society.