#173 - Dr. Max Rothschild: Shaping the future of swine production with gene editing

The genome of swine (of any animal, as a matter of fact) holds what seems to be an endless amount of information – and the future of swine production as well. Therefore, the knowledge we have gained so far about the pig genome could, in theory, be used to improve sustainability and performance in the industry. But how can we accomplish this? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Max Rothschild about his work in understanding the pig genome and the way new technologies can be employed to perform gene editing in pigs and make the industry more profitable and sustainable.

What you’ll learn:

1. Current knowledge about the pig genome
2. The process behind discovering the function of each gene
3. The most surprising fact about the pig genome
4. The future of pig genome technology

Meet the guest: 

Dr. Max Rothschild received his B.S. in Animal Science from the University of California, Davis, his M.S. in Animal Science from the University of Wisconsin, and his Ph.D. in Animal Breeding from Cornell University. Throughout his career, he held roles at the University of Maryland and Iowa State University, as well as in the USDA as Pig Genome Mapping Coordinator. Dr. Rothschild is a CF Curtiss Distinguished Professor Emeritus in Agriculture and Life Science, and held the ME Ensminger Chair in International Animal Agriculture until his retirement in 2020. Rothschild has devoted his research to animal breeding and molecular genetics. It has been funded by state, federal, and industry sources, and its largest body has been directed towards identifying genes and controlling traits of economic importance in pigs, along with several other livestock species. Dr. Rothschild has presented numerous invited papers and refereed publications in a wide variety of journals, owns US and international patents, has won multiple awards, has worked extensively in developing countries to improve food security in recent years.