The 2024 EAAP Annual Meeting in Florence featured a forward-looking session on “The Role of Bioinformatics Applied to Livestock Data” held on Sunday afternoon at the Palazzo dei Congressi. Among the key contributions was a presentation by Frédéric Debode (CRA-W) on the GenEdit database, developed within the EU-funded DETECTIVE project to support the traceability and detection of genome-edited organisms.

Although the presentation was delivered by CRA-W, it reflected the collective input of several European initiatives, including EuroFAANG and RUMIGEN, with contributions to the abstract and content from Emily Clark and Helen Mbaya  among others.
EuroFAANG plays a leading role in mapping functional genomic elements in farmed animals—linking genotype to phenotype—to guide responsible and informed use of New Genomic Techniques (NGTs). Meanwhile, RUMIGEN is advancing breeding strategies for ruminants to enhance resilience to climate change, including through targeted use of gene editing.

The GenEdit resource, which currently compiles data on over 1,150 genome-edited organisms (314 animals), focusing on gene targets, traits, and editing methods—particularly CRISPR-Cas (86%). Pigs, cattle, and sheep are among the most frequently edited species, with traits related to disease resistance, muscle development, and milk composition.
By contributing their genomic expertise, EuroFAANG ensures that tools like GenEdit are grounded in robust science and applicable across species. This supports both innovation and regulatory readiness, reinforcing the responsible integration of advanced genomic technologies in animal breeding.

In this framework EFFAB and FABRE TP play a key role in EuroFAANG by leading communication and dissemination efforts, engaging stakeholders, and bridging the gap between the public and private sectors in farm animal genomics.