Julius van der Werf's teaching activities.
Undergraduate courses coordinated:
GENE351/251 Aplied Animal and Plant Breeding:. Quantitative genetics. This is a third year undergraduate
core course which provides an introduction to Quantitative Genetics. It
gives students some feel for the principles of genetic variation, heritability,
selection and crossbreeding.
Elementary skills are developed for estimating the breeding value of
animals for commercially important traits, predicting rates of genetic
improvement, and designing animal breeding programs to help maximise gains.
Application in animal breeding industries is discussed. 19 lectures plus
20 hours of practicals.
GENE422. Genetic Evaluation and Breeding program Design. This unit extends
the core genetics units to develop the principles of quantitative genetics
theory and to provide a broader and more applied approach to the use of
genetics and animal breeding in the improvement of farmed livestock. Main
topic area's are: principles of animal breeding programs, breeding objectives,
genetic evaluation, optimization of design, & crossbreeding
In addition, an introduction is given to functional aspects of molecular
genetics which are relevant to animal breeding. 26 lectures plus 13 three-hour
practicals.
Postgraduate courses coordinated:
GENE 522. Genetic evaluation and design. This is a postgraduate
course which deepens the coverage of procedures to evaluate animals (selection
index and best linear unbiassed prediction), and broadens the coverage
of technical aspects of application in the animal breeding industries.
An introduction is given to functional aspects of molecular genetics which
are relevant to animal breeding. 26 lectures plus 13 three-hour practicals
plus 13 one hr tutorials
GENE 500.Special reading unit. This is a special reading
and assignment course tailored to the interest and needs of the individual
student. Activities may include, for example, computer modelling of an
animal breeding system, comprehensive development of a breeding objective
or an exercise in genetic evaluation using both real and simulated data.