UC Davis

Omics techniques, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics, analyze entire sets of biological molecules to seek comprehensive knowledge on a particular phenotype. These approaches have been extensively utilized to identify both biomarkers and biological mechanisms for various physiological conditions in livestock and poultry. The purpose of this symposium was not only to focus on how recent omics technologies can be used to gather, integrate, and interpret data produced by various methodologies in poultry research, but also to highlight how omics and bioinformatics have increased our understanding of poultry meat quality problems and other complex traits. This Poultry Science Association symposium paper includes 5 sections that cover: 1) functional annotation of cis-regulatory elements in the genome informs genetic control of complex traits in poultry, 2) mass spectrometry for proteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics, 3) proteomic approaches to investigate meat quality, 4) spatial transcriptomics and metabolomics studies of wooden breast disease, and 5) multiomics analyses on chicken meat quality and spaghetti meat. These topics provide insights into the molecular components that contribute to the structure, function, and dynamics of the underlying mechanisms influencing meat quality traits, including chicken breast myopathies. This information will ultimately contribute to improving the quality and composition of poultry products.