GABI (Animal genetics and integrative biology)

The scientific interests of GABI aim at understanding and exploiting animal genetic variability to analyze the construction of phenotypes, the interactions with microbial ecosystems and more broadly with the environment, within the context of the agroecological transition. The laboratory relies on a diverse set of skills to generate new knowledge as well as methodological innovations and for the transfer to the field : quantitative, molecular and population genetics ; functional genomics ; biostatistics ; bioinformatics ; fundamental biology ; experimentation on model and farm animals ; mouse transgenesis ; immunophenotyping ; analysis of microbiomes and their metagenomes ; integrative approaches for data analyses at all levels and scales.

The laboratory works in close collaboration with many partners. GABI hosts personnel mainly from INRAE and AgroParisTech, but also from the Alfort Veterinary School (Enva), the university of Paris, and several technical agencies, i.e. the French Breeding Institute (Idele), Alliance Innovation Service (Allice) and the French Institute for Horse and Riding (IFCE).

The laboratory is affiliated with the University Paris-Saclay and member of the multidisciplinary network Animal Sciences Paris-Saclay.

The laboratory is composed of seven research teams, one platform team, a joint technology unit, and an international associated laboratory.

Main research objectives :

• To gain new insights into the genome of animals and their microbiomes
• To analyse the functions that are linked to inseparable breeding characters : adaptation, health, reproduction, production
• To develop tools and methods for promoting efficient and sustainable livestock farming including environmental impact
• To manage animal biodiversity as potential for adaptation for future generations