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Mateescu's Animal Genetics & Genomics Lab

Mateescu's Animal Genetics & Genomics Lab

Beef Cattle Meat Quality

The US Beef Quality audit identified low and inconsistent quality as major impediments to improving domestic demand for beef products. Consumers evaluate the quality of beef at the point of purchase with respect to freshness, marbling, and color, and at the point of consumption where the focus is on quality of eating experience, or palatability described by three sensory traits: tenderness, juiciness, and flavor.

The ability to deliver a consistently superior quality product is important if the beef industry is to maintain and expand its share of the market. These issues are of particular importance for Brahman and Brahman crosses as they are routinely penalized for relatively low marbling scores and perceived inferior tenderness. A sustainable strategy to address these issues is via the development of effective selection and management genomic tools.  

This will improve the economic position of the beef industry, improve demand for beef, increase profits, and will lead to more satisfied consumers.

Identification of eQTLs and sQTLs associated with meat quality in beef

Genetic basis of improving the palatability of beef cattle: Current insights. Invited Review.

Genome-wide association and gene enrichment analysis reveal membrane anchoring and structural proteins associated with meat quality in beef.

Structural equation modeling and whole-genome scans uncover chromosome regions and enriched pathways for carcass and meat quality in beef.

Association of µ-calpain and calpastatin polymorphisms with meat tenderness in a Brahman-Angus population.

  • Article published in "Frontiers in Genetics", February 2018
  • Association of µ-calpain and calpastatin polymorphisms with meat tenderness in a Brahman-Angus population.
  • View the article online
  • or download a pdf copy here.

Genome scan for beef tenderness in an Angus-Brahman crossbred population in Florida.

  • Article published in the UF ANS Beef Research Report, 2017
  • Leal-Gutierrez J.D., M.A. Elzo, D.D. Johnson and R.G. Mateescu. 2017.
  • EDIS, UF/IFAS.

Beef marbling score and tenderness – related but still different!

  • Article published in the Florida Cattlemen Journal, December 2017
  • Raluca Mateescu, Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida

The quality of beef and consumer preferences

  • Profile published in the North America Analysis November 2017 edition - publication focusing on a number of key areas within the US and Canada such as healthcare, the environment, and science.
  • You can follow the link to the publication (page 30-31) or download a pdf copy here.

Network analysis reveals putative genes affecting meat quality in Angus cattle

  • Article published in "Frontiers in Genetics", November 2017

Genomic tools to improve meat quality traits in Angus-Brahman cattle

  • Article published in the Florida Cattlemen Journal, June 2016
  • Raluca Mateescu, Dwain Johnson, Mauricio Elzo
  • Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida

Increasing the value of Florida beef through genomics

  • Final Report on the Florida Cattle Enhancement Fund Grant, 2016
  • Raluca Mateescu, Mauricio Elzo, Dwain Johnson
  • Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida

Strategies to predict and improve eating quality of cooked beef using carcass and meat composition traits

  • Article published in the Journal of Animal Science, 2016

Genetic parameters for sensory traits in longissimus muscle and their associations with tenderness, marbling score, and intramuscular fat in Angus cattle

  • Article published in the Journal of Animal Science, 2015