“We have presented a near complete cattle genome that is 16 per cent longer than the current reference genome,” senior author Lloyd Low said.
Dr Low’s discovery is expected to have implications for profits in the beef industry.
“The Wagyu genome provides a foundational genetic resource to identify variants responsible for marbling and other traits affecting profit,” Professor Wayne Pitchford, director of the University of Adelaide’s DLRC and a co-author of the study, said.
The new cattle genome was able to be used to identify hundreds of new genes and detect more structural variants than was possible with the existing reference genome.
Study co-author and DLRC Associate Professor Cynthia Bottema said the advancement would have implications beyond Wagyu.
“Our new cattle genome means breeders now have a better tool that will allow for greater precision when identifying and selecting for traits like marbling, fertility and disease resistance — not only in Wagyu, but other cattle breeds as well,” she said.
Australian beef production totalled 706,296 tonnes for the quarter to June 2025, with the gross value of cattle and calves slaughtered reaching $4.9 billion.
Recent data on Australian beef exports shows the sector is worth more than $1 billion.
Dr Low’s study was completed alongside the United States Department of Agriculture, which has a long history of collaboration with the University of Adelaide’s livestock research.
While this work offers breeders and livestock researchers higher resolution data, Dr Low said he and his team were still in pursuit of further advancements in knowledge of the cattle genome.
“Our next goal is to combine the Wagyu assembly with other high-quality cattle genomes to build a pangenome graph that better represents the full spectrum of genetic diversity in the species,” Dr Low said.
