Binghamton Research Magazine - Spring/Summer 2012 - (Page 18)

“IF BUYERS WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT MAKES THE STRONGEST BELGIANS, WE CAN DO THAT. I’VE BEEN CONTACTED BY AN ARGENTINEAN GROUP THAT WANTS TO FIGURE OUT WHICH GENE VARIANTS ARE FOUND IN A TOP POLO PONY. WE CAN LOOK AT ANY VARIATION THAT ANYBODY WANTS TO LOOK AT, IN ANY BREED OF HORSE.”
— Steven Tammariello, biologist and founder of ThoroughGen

Tammariello grew up near Erie, Pa. His father, a geneticist, taught biology at nearby Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. When he had time, young Tammariello would watch Thoroughbred races at Erie’s Commodore Downs. Tammariello earned a Ph.D. at Ohio State, where he studied molecular genetics, and did postdoctoral work at the University of Kentucky, where he looked at the molecular regulation of Alzheimer’s disease. Afterward, he joined Binghamton’s faculty, focusing on research in Parkinson’s disease and related neurodegenerative illnesses. “I wasn’t trained as a horse geneticist,” he says. “But I’ve always been a fan of horse racing, and my wife and I have owned partial interest in nine horses.” One day Tammariello wondered if there was a way to look at a horse genetically in order to get a predictor of its racing potential. “I assumed that someone would have already done genetic testing on Thoroughbreds,”

he says. Yet when he did an Internet search to find genetic-testing services, he came up with none. So Tammariello, with help from a small group of researchers, began to look for Thoroughbred genes linked to athleticism. “If we found a gene that was important to athleticism in greyhounds or humans, we looked to see if we could find the same genes in the horse,” he says. Gradually, they found some. They also compared breeds of horses to one another. “We looked at genes that were important to muscle twitch and energy in breeds from Belgian draft horses to Thoroughbreds,” Tammariello says. “We found a variant in draft horses that was also found in slow Thoroughbreds. A lot of our clients have brood mares and they want to know whether they carry the variant for slower muscle twitch. Slower twitch is useful for muscular power, but not for speed. We can test a whole bunch of Thoroughbreds and

predict which ones aren’t going to make it to the track.” This gives breeders a new option. They can continue to breed top horses to top horses, or they can use the tests to figure out which horses might make the best breeding match. That should produce more good horses, though not necessarily faster times. “Honestly, I don’t think speeds will get faster,” Tammariello says. “I tell my clients that this is not a way to breed superhorses. What we are trying to do is decrease the number of substandard horses that are produced.” Texas Thoroughbred breeder and veterinarian Jim Ward has used Tammariello’s services. “Genetic testing is probably going to be a game changer,” Ward says. “I’m familiar with beef cattle and dairy cattle, where they made big strides in breeding after identifying genetic traits. I don’t see why it couldn’t work the same in horses. The logic is good.

Binghamton University • BINGHAMTON RESEARCH • Spring/Summer 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Binghamton Research Magazine - Spring/Summer 2012

Binghamton Research Magazine - Spring/Summer 2012
Contents
About Binghamton Research
Welcome
Briefs
Digital defenders
Jockeying for genetic advantage
The unfiltered truth
Spring awakening
Wall Street watchdog
Principles of the universe demand principled engineers
Engineering and Science Building
Graduate research
Undergraduate research
A piece of the puzzle
Crossword puzzle

Binghamton Research Magazine - Spring/Summer 2012