Blog

Investigating chicken immune responses with PACE genotyping for improved animal health and sustainability

Back to Blogs

Investigating chicken immune responses with PACE genotyping for improved animal health and sustainability

Innate and acquired immune responses are increasingly under scrutiny due to declining availability of antibiotics for animal production systems. A greater understanding of how variability within immune response genes impacts survival is important to livestock health and sustainability.

A recent study from Hy-line International in collaboration with scientists from the USA and Poland has identified the gene responsible for the D blood system antigen in chickens, CD99. There are 13 blood systems known in the chicken; apart from B, A and E blood group systems, little is known about the candidate genes or genomic locations of any of the other chicken blood systems.

DNA pools from a variety of chicken lines were initially analysed by GWAS to narrow down the target genomic region, at which point sequence information and candidate gene SNP panels provided additional precision to validate the candidate gene CD99.

A PACE SNP panel of 7 SNPs and one Indel was developed for CD99. This was used to screen a selection of chicken lines. A total of 11 unique CD99 haplotypes were found. This rapid SNP-based test can now be used to identify variants within CD99, allowing the impact on traits to be studied further.

References:

  • Fulton, Janet E., et al. “CD99 and the Chicken Alloantigen D Blood System.” Genes 14.2 (2023): 402.

MORE POSTS

Automated Pipetting vs. Manual Pipetting: Which Is Right for Your Lab?
Discover when manual pipetting is enough—and why automated pipetting with 3CR’s GeneArrayer and PACE® genotyping delivers superior speed, accuracy, and scalability.
High-Throughput PCR in CRISPR Screening and Genome Editing Verification
Discover how high-throughput PCR using PACE® genotyping accelerates CRISPR screening and genome editing verification across large sample populations.
Understanding the genetics of important traits in hemp to help breed improved cultivars
Learn how Cornell University uses PACE® SNP genotyping to accelerate hemp breeding—enabling early trait selection, sex determination, and cost-effective genetic screening.

Our product portfolio for your PCR genotyping workflow

Our portfolio of products and services include PACE® genotyping chemistry, instruments, and lab services to streamline every step of your workflow. Designed for life sciences, biotech, and agricultural research, our high-performance reagents, reliable instruments, and expert lab support help you achieve accurate, consistent results while reducing time and costs – making science affordable.

PRODUCTS

Instrumentation

Marker Panel

DNA extraction lab

Lab Services

[fibosearch]

Quick Links:

Documentation
PACE User Manual
PACE Certificate

New customer &#8594

← Back to log in
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Name(Required)

Contact us

clear
SEND

Stay up to date with all things 3CR. 

Sign up now to receive insights, updates 
and industry case studies. 

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Name(Required)

MEET OUR TEAM

Steve AsquithManaging Director
Steve began his career in the Genetics Division of GlaxoSmithKline, as part of the team establishing GSK’s high-throughput core genotyping laboratory. Steve joined KBioscience when it was first founded in 2002 and was a key driver in taking the company from a small start-up to a multi-national service laboratory, quickly growing the company’s revenue to over $7.5M p.a. Following the acquisition of Kbioscience by LGC in 2011, Steve was appointed Global Director of Operations for LGC Genomics, responsible for over 100 staff in Europe and N. America, successfully elevating the genotyping products and service business. Steve held a crucial leadership role until he left in 2016. In 2017 Steve joined forces with John Holme to create 3CR Bioscience, a new company with a mission to deliver outstanding, customer-focused genotyping products with innovation and affordability at its core.
Dr. John HolmeTechnical Director

John joined KBioscience shortly after it was founded, in 2003, and became Head of Technical Development, building the company’s genotyping and DNA extraction product portfolio and service delivery until 2011 when it was acquired by LGC. Post-acquisition, John was appointed Head of Technical Group for LGC Genomics, in charge of all Research & Development and Technical Support activities for the company. In this role John continued to build on the high-quality products and services provided to the companies growing customer base.

During the 19 years John has worked in commercial R&D, he has co-invented numerous highly successful products including PACE®, ProbeSure, KASP™, KlearKall, KlearGene, KlearAmp and KlearTaq™, creating breakthrough offerings in genotyping and extraction and generating huge revenues for the companies he has worked in. In 2017, he joined forces with Steve Asquith and started 3CR Bioscience. John is dedicated to developing outstanding, innovative genotyping products and providing the very best technical support to customers globally.

Dr. Nisha JainOperations Director

Nisha has been innovating since the start of her career at Geneform Technologies developing Iso-thermal Genotyping Technologies. Nisha joined KBioscience in 2008, as Senior R&D Scientist and key account Technical Support Scientist, developing KASP and Klearkall performance and coinventing two further versions of KASP.

Nisha has more than 15 years’ experience working in molecular biology and genotyping technologies, with extensive experience in the areas of R&D, Quality Assurance and Customer Technical Support. She has technically assisted many giants of the industry with their protocol development and troubleshooting and continues to deliver high-quality support and guidance. In 2018, Nisha joined 3CR Bioscience as Operations Director where she continues to develop PACE and ProbeSure for an increasing range of applications, and to grow 3CR Bioscience’s new product pipeline. Nisha is dedicated to developing outstanding, innovative genotyping products and providing the very best technical support to customers globally.

Nazma SaffinGeneral Manager
For 20 years Nazma Saffin has worked and gained extensive expertise within the genotyping sector. Working at Kbioscience and then LGC, she has held operational leadership posts responsible for manufacturing and laboratory services. With experience of ISO 9001 implementation, production scale up and LEAN operations, Nazma has successfully led highly profitable production departments. Joining 3CR Bioscience in 2022, Nazma is committed to delivering operational excellence.
Greig PollandAutomation and Support Manager

Greig is a hands-on automation specialist and team leader with a strong background in laboratory and industrial automation. He has spent over 25 years developing, installing, and supporting automated systems that transformed laboratory workflows. During this time, Greig worked closely with scientists and engineers to tailor automation solutions for genotyping and molecular biology, an experience that sparked his lasting passion for combining technology with practical science.

Since then, Greig has built on that foundation through leadership roles where he leads automation and support operations. He’s known for being approachable, commercially minded, and deeply committed to helping teams and customers get the best from their technology.

Whether managing a complex automation rollout or helping a customer troubleshoot in real time, Greig brings a thoughtful, collaborative approach that keeps people ,not just machines, at the centre of what he does.