Dogs were domesticated from wolves around 20,000 years ago. In the last 150 years, we’ve gone even further; with selective breeding programs, humans have slowly changed the genome of our canine companions. These genomic changes are the foundation of the behavioral and health traits that we know and love, and with genomic technologies, we have the opportunity to directly map those changes. Now that this technology is affordable, we at Gencove believe that every pet deserves to have its genome inform all aspects of their care, from breeding to nutrition to preventative wellness.
Blog
Jesse Hoff, Agrigenomics Product Manager - Aug 15, 2024
Unleashing the power of genomics in pet care
From breed analysis to holistic genomic integration
Traditionally, the genomics industry for pets has focused on breed identification and a small amount of health trait analysis. Pet owners and breeders have found value in understanding the lineage and specific traits of their dogs. Many are willing to pay over $100 to understand this information, just to gain a delightful insight into their pet. But with this data only touching one segment of the industry, the story often ends there. At Gencove, we use sequencing advances to make genotyping radically more affordable. As genotyping becomes more affordable, we can begin to integrate genomics into broader health and wellness services, creating comprehensive care solutions for our pets.
For the pet care industry, this now raises the question of how companies can offer or integrate genetic data into their existing businesses:
- Genetics as an add on to existing business: The significant decrease in sequencing costs means that comprehensive genomic testing is no longer a luxury and can be a part of the branding experience for any product or service. For pet care providers who already want to offer known health and ancestry information as part of their services, it's never been easier to launch an offering.
- Use genetics to build innovative new products: Imagine combining genetic insights with nutritional planning or disease prevention programs, tailored to the genetic predispositions of each dog. This kind of integration can lead to personalized care plans that cater specifically to the needs of individual pets. By bringing genetic data generation into the business model of pet care, the actual training data to build world class models is within reach for many in the pet care industry.
Unpacking the scientific advancements
A key to this vision is that the future of technical advances in dog genomics relies on democratizing genetic data to where the consumers are using it. A great model for this is our collaboration with Darwin’s Ark. These researchers have used crowdfunding to engage dog owners to contribute dog DNA samples and behavioral data, creating a rich resource for genomic analysis. Led by Dr. Elinor Karlsson, the team at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard engaged Gencove to utilize low-pass whole genome sequencing for high-accuracy genetic testing with comprehensive whole genome genotyping. The project has successfully engaged a large community of participants, reflecting the ease with which consumer data can drive development of new insights into pet health.
The future of genomics in pet health and wellness
The opportunity to engage customers on genetic data development is now open to anyone in the pet care space. By leveraging these technologies, we can move beyond breed analysis to create comprehensive care solutions that enhance the lives of our dogs. The future of pet wellness lies in the affordable, widespread use of genomic data, and the potential for innovation in this field is limitless.
The tools are available, the data is affordable, and the potential benefits are immense. Now is the time to embrace genomics and revolutionize the way we care for our canine companions.