Welcome to Mateescu’s Animal Genetics and Genomics Lab in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Florida.
Our group does research in the area of beef cattle, sheep, and goat molecular genetics. Most biological traits of economic importance in domestic animals have a complex inheritance (are influenced by many genes and the environment) and the long-term research goal is to unravel the genetic basis for the phenotypic variability in this type of trait.
Our research is motivated by recent advances in the animal genomics field, which hold great promise for improving animal production efficiency and enhancing animal products for improved human health. Whether it is improving the nutritional and health value of beef for better human health, improving the resilience of sheep to environmental stressors, or increased milk production or ability to breed out-of-season in sheep, our research is directed at providing practical, industry applications.
This research contributes to molecular genetics knowledge and tools, which can make a real impact on our understanding of gene regulation of biological functions while keeping the research relevant to stakeholders and society at large