World-leading advances in genomic selection
Advances in genomic selection
My journey into the world of dairy genetics began a long time ago. It’s part of who I am; I come from generations of farmers on every branch of my family tree. Growing up, I loved the land, the animals, and the simple satisfaction of producing good food. I still believe that agriculture sits at the heart of what humanity needs to thrive.
By the age of eleven, I knew I wanted to be a geneticist.
I was fascinated by cow pedigrees and curious about how genetics could shape healthier, more productive animals. Of course, back then, I didn’t really know what a geneticist did or how to become one, but I knew that’s what I wanted to be.
At sixteen, I joined Cheltenham Ladies’ College, arriving with a clear vision, and took A Levels in Chemistry, Biology and Physics. By then, I already had my own small herd of pedigree Holstein cattle under the prefix Severnvale. My summers were spent training calves, entering shows, and winning prizes for my handling skills. At CLC, I was lucky to be surrounded by wonderful friends, and teachers who nurtured my passion. My biology teacher, Rob Turner, stands out to this day — his lessons were an inspiration.
I chose Edinburgh University for my undergraduate degree because of cows, specifically, the famous Langhill experiment comparing two genetic lines of dairy cattle.
That fascination led to my PhD, working alongside the scientists behind Langhill and expanding to study data from cows all over the UK, looking into health and fertility traits that farmers care about most.
Since then, my career has taken me around the world, from Scotland to New Zealand and now Australia, where I’m based at Agriculture Victoria Research. Each step has deepened my commitment to using science to help farmers produce food more sustainably. In New Zealand, I worked with a commercial breeding company to make cows healthier and more fertile, and to put genomic selection into practice – a real breakthrough for the dairy industry.
Since 2008, my team and I in Victoria have led some of the world’s key advances in genomic selection. In simple terms, genomic selection means we can predict an animal’s or plant’s genetic merit from birth, just by looking at its DNA.
This speeds up genetic progress for milk production, animal health, forage quality and even climate outcomes. One project I’m really proud of is using genetics to help breed cows that naturally produce less methane, a greenhouse gas.
Our research shows that by 2050, breeding alone could cut methane emissions by at least 20% – a big win for the planet and for farmers.
Today, I lead an extraordinary team of about 70 scientists at Agriculture Victoria Research. Our work is wonderfully diverse, covering livestock breeding, forage improvement (the crops and pasture that feed our animals), and even medicinal agriculture, where plants are harnessed to develop compounds with health benefits. Some of my team are in the lab, extracting DNA, genotyping animals and plants, or carefully measuring traits in the field, lab and glasshouse.
Others are quantitative geneticists (like me), bioinformaticians, statisticians and computational scientists who harness our high-performance supercomputers to analyse vast datasets and build predictive tools that drive modern breeding programmes.
It’s an incredible mix of genetics, biology, biochemistry, data science and practical farming knowledge, all working together with a shared goal: to deliver science that farmers and society can trust.
Whether we’re helping breed cows that produce milk with a smaller carbon hoofprint, developing more resilient forages that withstand droughts, or exploring compounds for health and medicine, our work contributes to a more sustainable, productive and healthier future.
I feel truly fortunate to lead and learn from such talented people. Some days I’m in meetings planning large research projects; other days I’m listening to farmers tell us what really matters to them.
Other days I’m walking on the beach 600m from where I live with my little family. That connection — from the lab bench to the farm gate to back home — keeps me grounded.
Beyond the science, mentoring PhD students inspires me every day. Their research spans everything from climate resilience (super important in Australia) to next generation prediction tools. I often say I learn as much from them as they do from me.
Food connects us all, it brings together our climate, cultures and communities. My life’s work in agriculture is just one part of this bigger story: ensuring that future generations can enjoy safe, nutritious, and sustainably produced food, and that farmers have the tools and knowledge to survive whatever the Australian climate throws at them.
CLC gave me the confidence to dream big and the support to turn those dreams into reality.
If my story inspires even one young woman to see the possibilities in agriculture or science, then I couldn’t ask for more.
Jennie Pryce (1988-1990, Elizabeth)
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