The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a key species in biology. Basic discoveries have been made investigating this mammal whose genome has been recently sequenced. The rabbit is a livestock, an animal model, a wild resource, a pest and a fancy animal and comprises a large number of breeding stocks/lines. This Action will bring together experts in all rabbit research areas and in other complementary research fields (breeders, geneticists, bioinformaticians, physiologists, evolutionists, embryologists, immunologists, industry experts, etc.) in order to facilitate the transition of rabbit genomic information from experimental data into usable benefits and applications by means of networking expertise. Four Working Groups will be focused on i) the refinement of the European rabbit genome resource and the development of genome-based platforms, ii) genetic aspects in meat, fur and pet rabbits and biodiversity resources, iii) the rabbit as a model in basic biology and human diseases and as a tool for biotechnology applications and iv) genetic and comparative genomic aspects for the study, exploitation and management of wild lagomorphs. The outcome is a coordination of rabbit research activities and a transfer of knowledge which will produce a strong European added value across a broad spectrum of biology research fields.
European rabbit - lagomorphs - genome biology - translational research - networking expertise
