Resources and insights

Albuquerque, New Mexico The International Association of Future Horse Breeding (IAFH), a group of five German Warmblood associations, has developed a large-scale genotyping platform (a SNP array) for breed improvement. They have added tests for the variants in EquiSeq’s Myopathy Panel to the array. Results will be available to horse owners through Generatio GmbH – Center for Animal Genetics, which holds the exclusive license for EquiSeq’s tests in the EU and the UK. Below is a translation of their press release. Horse breeders have health in mind The health of the riding horses is important for every breeder. The International Association of Future Horse Breeding (IAFH) is dedicated to it. The focus is also on hereditary diseases such as PSSM2. The IAFH provides fundamental scientific work that leads to breeding measures to ensure the health of horses in the future. With the availability of differentiated molecular genetic laboratory analysis, the possibilities to assess the genetic predisposition of individual horses are growing. This applies to all characteristics that have been influenced by hereditary factors in their form, regardless of whether they follow simple or complex inheritances and whether they relate to performance, appearance, or health. Especially for the monitoring of hereditary diseases,…

Vechta, Germany PSSM2 (Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy Type 2) is a much discussed topic. Now the horse breeding associations for Holstein, Trakehner, Hanoverian, Oldenburg and Westphalia want to make genetic material available for research purposes to a project of the International Association of Future Horse Breeding GmbH & Co KG (IAFH). Muscle wasting, lameness, stiff gait, ataxia – PSSM2 has many symptoms, and probably more causes. The muscle disease is moving more and more into focus (we deal with it in detail in the May issue of St.GEORG). Now, for the first time, there is a joint initiative by the four largest breeding associations and the Trakehners. It’s about providing genetic data for research. For this purpose, the International Association of Future Horse Breeding GmbH & Co KG (IAFH), founded in Vechta in 2017 and based there, will cooperate with the licensee of the European patent for EquiSeq’s PSSM2 test panel, Generatio GmbH – Center for Animal Genetics. PSSM2 only occurs in older horses, which is why the associations involved find it important to investigate this hereditary disease first in the joint project. The research activities are to be coordinated by the data experts of the VIT (United Information Systems for Animal…

Albuquerque, New Mexico Paul Szauter, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of EquiSeq, will present via Zoom at One Million Cups in Albuquerque on Wednesday, January 20, at 9:00 am MST. The format is a six-minute presentation followed by twenty minutes of questions and discussion. The presentation is open to the public via Zoom. Based on the notion that entrepreneurs discover solutions and engage with their communities over a million cups of coffee, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation developed One Million Cups in 2012 – a free program designed to educate, engage and inspire entrepreneurs around the country. Through the power of volunteers, One Million Cups has grown to more than 160 communities. As a program of the Kauffman Foundation, One Million Cups works with entrepreneurs, empowering them with the tools and resources to break down barriers that stand in the way of starting and growing their businesses. Dr. Szauter founded EquiSeq in 2015 with no background in business. He was introduced to Albuquerque’s entrepreneurial community when he won a pitch competition in September 2014. He completed the ABQid Accelerator program in 2015. After a couple of years of regularly attending One Million Cups Albuquerque, he became one of the group’s volunteer organizers, recruiting and coaching other entrepreneurs. Dr. Szauter has…

Tubingen, Germany Generatio GmbH – Center for Animal Genetics (CAG) has added the P8 variant of PYROXD1 and the K1 variant of COL6A3 to its Variant Panel. These tests are now available to horse owners in the EU and UK. The launch followed licensing of these tests from EquiSeq. Generatio GmbH – Center for Animal Genetics (CAG) has the exclusive rights to these tests in the EU and UK. For horses already tested for P2 (MYOT), P3 (FLNC), P4 (MYOZ3), and Px (CACNA2D3), a test for P8 (PYROXD1) and K1 (COL6A3) is available. Horse owners in the EU and UK can order the  6-Variant Panel online from the Animal Trust Center (ATC).

Albuquerque, New Mexico July 2020 was a great month for horse owners seeking to understand muscle disease. Eden River Equestrian interviewed Paul Szauter, EquiSeq’s Chief Scientific Officer, for episode 86 of their Come Along for the Ride podcast. In the interview, Dr. Szauter talked about the effects of the genetic variants that are included in EquiSeq’s Myopathy Panel, with an emphasis on symptoms that will be evident to horse owners. He specifically recommended a video on PSSM & MFM Symptoms at canter by Christine Lola Mahon of the PSSM & MFM Awareness Group on Facebook. After the podcast was aired, Christine Lola Mahon posted a detailed video showing the progression of PSSM2/MFM, The Harsh Reality of PSSM2. The Equine Extension Program at the University of Minnesota hosted a set of four seminars by Dr. Molly McCue of the Equine Genetics and Genomics Laboratory. The seminars were held as Facebook Live events. Horse owners watching in real time were able to post questions and comments. The seminars are available as Facebook videos as listed below. Part 1 Introduction to Muscle Disease Part 2 PSSM Part 3 RER & MFM Part 4 HYPP & IMM Dr. McCue encouraged horse owners to participate in the University of Minnesota muscle disease study. Please see their FAQs or contact…

Albuquerque, NM Kirsten Dimmler, a Bioinformatics Analyst at EquiSeq, has accepted an offer of admission to graduate school in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota. Kirsten will be entering the laboratory of Dr. Molly McCue, a leading veterinary expert in the field of equine genetics and genomics. Her admission to graduate school was originally scheduled for the fall of 2020, but has been deferred to January 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kirsten began her career at EquiSeq with an internship while still an undergraduate biology major at the University of New Mexico. Following her graduation with a B.S. in Biology in December 2017, she began work at EquiSeq in bioinformatics. Her research involved evaluating potentially pathogenic mutations discovered in whole genome sequence data from horses with symptoms of exercise intolerance. The work led to a patent filing and the development of commercial genetic tests for horses. Kirsten was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She has a passion for animals and had a goal of one day becoming a veterinarian. She purchased her first horse, an Appendix Quarter Horse mare named Esperanza, as a teenager and went on to compete in hunter/jumper with her….

Saint Paul, Minnesota The Equine Genetics and Genomics Laboratory at the University of Minnesota is conducting a study using 3,000+ horses to study the genetic mechanisms behind different muscle disorders in horses and how diet and exercise may impact these disorders. The results of this study will provide veterinarians, researchers, and horse owners with information on genetic and management factors that influence muscle disease and aid in developing treatment strategies for muscle disease in individual horses. This will be the largest study of muscle disease ever conducted in the horse. To make this unprecedented study happen, we need help from the owners of horses affected by muscle disease. For more information about the study, FAQs, and detailed instructions about how to participate, please visit our study website . To contribute to this important effort owners will to need to: 1) Provide information in our Muscle Disease in Horses survey for a horse on your property with suspected or diagnosed muscle disease.  2) Provide the same information in the same survey for another horse of similar age and breed on your property without suspected or diagnosed muscle disease. Here is the survey . 3) Upload photos, videos, blood test results with creatine kinase (CK) and…

Fayetteville, AR At the Al Khamsa Annual Meeting and Convention  today in Fayetteville, Arkansas, EquiSeq announced that it has added the P8 and K1 tests to the Myopathy Panel at no extra cost. EquiSeq’s Myopathy Panel, priced at $249, now includes tests for P2, P3, P4, Px, P8, and K1. The P8 and K1 genetic variants are missense alleles of undisclosed genes of known function. P8 and K1 are known to be pathogenic as a result of EquiSeq’s internal validation process. The genes will be disclosed in a peer-reviewed scientific publication. The P8 genetic variant is prevalent in Arabians, but has also be found in Thoroughbreds, stock breeds (Quarter Horses, Paints, and Appaloosas), Icelandics, and other breeds. The K1 genetic variant is prevalent in Arabians, but has also been found in Morgans, American Miniatures, Haflingers, and Standardbreds. It is rare in stock breeds (Quarter Horses, Paints, and Appaloosas) and appears to be absent in Thoroughbreds. Tests for the P8 and K1 genetic variants will be included at no extra cost in EquiSeq’s Myopathy Panel through January 31, 2020. After that, the price of the Myopathy Panel will increase to $299.

FASTER HORSES  EquiSeq decodes equine genetics for better health and performanceBy Leslie Linthicum At the core of most living things is the genome, the package of genetic materials stored in long molecules of DNA. It’s what makes a person, a whale or a blob of algae grow and develop different characteristics. And it is at the core of developing more effective disease treatments and cures. Scientists around the world have collaborated to map the human genome and continue to work in laboratories to tease out longer pieces of DNA and more complete genomes and to apply genomic discoveries to helping mankind. UNM Professor Jeremy Edwards and retired biology Professor Paul Szauter pursue those ideals, but they also apply those same scientific questions and techniques to horses. Partners in the Albuquerque-based startup EquiSeq, they have already patented and licensed four genetic tests that will allow breeders to screen for common but devastating muscle diseases in horses. And they have hit on a trade secret that could revolutionize Thoroughbred racehorse breeding. It began with a simple question: What made Secretariat, the fastest horse in racing history, run so fast? The answer is that his heart was more than twice the size of…

Tuebingen CAG GmbH – Center for Animal Genetics has signed an agreement with EquiSeq to be the exclusive testing center for their Equine Myopathy Panel in Europe. Horse owners can now test their animals without requiring an invasive blood draw or muscle biopsy. Equine Myopathy Panel tests for mutations in three genes associated with Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy type 2 (PSSM2) and a mutation in one gene associated with Recurrent Exertional Rhabdomyolysis (RER). These mutations have been detected in affected horses of many breeds, including Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds, Warmbloods, Arabians, Gaited Horses, Draft Horses, and many pony breeds. Affected horses often do not show symptoms until they have already been used for breeding or have had many years of investment in training. Using genetic testing, owners and breeders can identify an affected horse prior to breeding or extensive training for sport. Veterinarians and other horse health professionals can make specific diagnoses and management plans. Although the diseases cannot be cured, a horse’s quality of life can be substantially improved with a correct diagnosis and the development of an appropriate management plan. More information about the disease and tests can be found on the CAG website . Tests can be ordered and paid for…