James Cossar Ewart and the Origins of the Animal Breeding Research Department in Edinburgh, 1895–1920

Abstract

Abstract. In 1919 the Animal Breeding Research Department was established inEdinburgh. This Department, later renamed the Institute of Animal Genetics, forged an international reputation, eventually becoming the centrepiece of a cluster of new genetics research units and institutions in Edinburgh after the Second World War. Yet despite its significance for institutionalising animal genetics research in the UK, the origins and development of the Department have not received as much scholarly attention as its importance warrants. This paper sheds new light on Edinburgh's place in early British genetics by drawing upon recently catalogued archival sources including the papers of James Cossar Ewart, Regius Professor of Natural History at the University of Edinburgh between 1882 and 1927. Although presently a marginal figure in genetics historiography, Ewart established two sites for experimental animal breeding work between 1895 and 1911 and played a central role in the founding of Britain's first genetics lectureship, also in 1911. These early efforts helped to secure government funding in 1913. However, a combination of the First World War, bureaucratic problems and Ewart's personal ambitions delayed the creation of the Department and the appointment of its director by another six years. This paper charts the institutionalisation of animal breeding and genetics research in Edinburgh within the wider contexts of British genetics and agriculture in the early twentieth century.

Between mice and sheep: Biotechnology, agricultural science and animal models in late-twentieth century Edinburgh

“…Historians have paid increasing attention to the tradition of animal breeding in Edinburgh and, more specifically, the line of research on genetic engineering within which Dolly was born (Button, 2017; García-Sancho, 2015; Myelnikov, 2017). In this article, we have argued that the genesis of that line of research – called the pharming project – and its transition from animal transgenesis to human regenerative medicine can only be fully captured by looking at how the Edinburgh scientists worked across mice and sheep during the last quarter of the twentieth century.…”

“…The early interactions between the Edinburgh breeding institutions and the University had been channelled through the Institute of Animal Genetics (IAG). The IAG had grown out of the Animal Breeding Research Department at the University and by the 1930s had consolidated as a leading institution in quantitative genetics – a subfield that addressed gradable characteristics of organisms, as opposed to qualitative Mendelian genetics (Button, 2017). In 1947, as ABRO and the PRC were being founded, the IAG made two key appointments in C. H. Waddington and Douglas Falconer.…”

Researcher, research thyself? Mapping the landscape of canine health and welfare research funding provided by UK not-for-profit organisations from 2012–2022

“…As previously discussed, this was largely due to substantial BBRSC funding of the Roslin Institute’s Ensembl project to create an annotated domestic animal reference genome. The Roslin Institute has been part of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies since 2008 [ 45 ], but the study of genetics in both organisations has roots in Edinburgh’s Department of Zoology as long ago as 1910 [ 46 ], so that this leading centre of current expertise has developed during a century of cumulative research knowledge generation across multiple disciplines. Moreover, leading expertise creates a snowball effect, attracting additional support from other funders for further work that draws on a key resource.…”

Pigs and Chips

“…Although a number of universities also had genetic expertise (e.g., Wye College University of London and Leeds University) their role in the ecosystem of pig breeding is less clear. Roslin Institute and its predecessors were set up to provide strategic research to industry (Button, 2018;García-Sancho, 2015), so unlike universities, they have a history of strong interaction with industry, which in the pig context dated back to the 1960s. For example, the lead product of the company PIC was named 'Camborough' to acknowledge the veterinary expertise from Cambridge University and genetics expertise from Edinburgh University involved in the development of the company.…”