Quantitative Genetic Theory

Students with will be equipped with techniques to plan and design breeding experiments by providing a solid background in quantitative genetics and relevant statistical methodologies. The key topics to be covered include: An introduction to statistical tools; Causes of genetic variation at single and multilocus; Linkage analysis and chromosome mapping; Components of phenotypic variation; GxE interaction; The concept of heritability; Detecting major genes; Resemblance between relatives; Analysis of line crosses; Expectations for line cross means; Analysis of mating designs; Inbreeding and crossbreeding; Basic concepts of marker-based mapping; Mapping and characterizing QTLs in inbred line crosses and outbred populations.