Nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics: Potential for feed

For many years, genetic selection has been conducted on the basis that the genotype of an animal determines its productivity for a particular trait, for instance milk production or growth. However, recent evidence suggests that it is not only the presence of specific genes that makes an animal more productive, but also which genes are actively expressed or not. Gene expression is affected by numerous environmental factors, of which nutrients play a central role. The interaction between nutritio