Department "Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction"
Head: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tanya Ivanova

DIRECTION "GENETICS"

Identification of genetic markers associated with economically important traits in farm animals.
Assessment of genetic diversity in animal husbandry using the PCR-RFLP method (genotyping), sequencing, and SSR markers.
Study of the relationship between genetic variation of economically important QTLs and productive traits of animals.
Conducting targeted selection aimed at eliminating animals carrying genes with adverse effects on traits related to productivity and reproductive performance from breeding programs.
Conducting fundamental research as well as scientifically grounded practices in farm animal breeding.
Creation of a database for managing genetic progress of economically important traits.

Improvement of genetic potential and establishment of breed structure.
Determination of phenotypic and genetic parameters of productive and reproductive traits characterizing different populations of dairy and beef cattle.
Determination of genetic-economic efficiency for optimizing breeding programs and modeling the selection process in dairy cattle breeding.
Conducting targeted selection aimed at eliminating animals carrying genes with adverse effects on productivity and reproductive traits from breeding programs.
Development of competitive technologies for individual cattle breeds (technologies for free group housing of female calves and breeding heifers, and calves for fattening on deep permanent bedding in semi-open buildings).
Technologies have been developed for raising dairy cows tied in indoor facilities and milking in stationary milking parlors.
Technologies have been developed for raising calves during the milk-feeding period in individual outdoor pens.
An integrated resource-efficient technology meeting European criteria and standards for high-quality milk production has been developed.
Technologies have been developed for raising calves during the milk-feeding period in individual outdoor pens.
An integrated resource-efficient technology meeting European criteria and standards for high-quality milk production has been developed.

Improvement of breeding and selection systems and optimization of intrabreed genetic structures in sheep breeds in Bulgaria.
Selection approaches for optimizing meat productivity in the Ile de France breed.
Blood infusion in sheep from the Bulgarian Dairy Synthetic Population.
Assessment and preservation of the sheep breeding gene pool.
Genetic analysis of productivity components in sheep.
Determination of the effect of genetic and non-genetic factors on the variation of quantitative and qualitative traits in sheep.
Development and implementation of modern breeding criteria for improving sheep production.
Improvement of methods for monitoring sheep productivity.
Control of reproductive cycles in sheep from different productive направления.
Artificial insemination and methods for improving sperm fertilization capacity.
Analysis of economic efficiency in sheep breeding – current conditions, trends, and development forecasts.

Reproductive and assisted biotechnologies in animals.
Microsurgical techniques – intracytoplasmic sperm injection using gametes at different stages. Development of microsurgical tools, embryo splitting for obtaining monozygotic twins, injection and aggregation chimeras, blastomere biopsy from morulae and blastocysts for early sex determination, injection of gene constructs into mouse zygote pronuclei.
Cryopreservation and vitrification of oocytes, embryos, and semen.
Electrofusion of NTC. Conducting repeated fusion experiments for cells that do not fuse after the initial impulses.
Activation of oocytes, isolation of stem cells from embryos and fetal organs, as well as in vitro fertilization of oocytes from different animal species.
Study of the influence of plant- and animal-derived hormones on the motility and fertilizing ability of spermatozoa from different animal species.
In vitro embryo production and embryo transfer.