# Omics in mini-livestock: a genomic perspective on the future of sustainable food systems

## TL;DR

This paper explores how omics technologies can help improve sustainable food systems by studying mini-livestock.

## Contribution

The paper highlights the potential of omics in mini-livestock for sustainable food systems and identifies key challenges.

## Key findings

- Omics technologies can enhance breeding efficiency and productivity in mini-livestock.
- Challenges like high costs and lack of reference genomes limit omics applications in mini-livestock.
- Addressing these challenges is essential for improving global food security and sustainability.

## Abstract

Mini-livestock refers to small vertebrates and invertebrates used as human food, animal feed, or for other beneficial purposes. They represent sustainable alternatives to conventional livestock, whose potential is now being revealed through advances in omics technologies. Omics approaches such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and epigenomics provide comprehensive insights into growth, reproduction, adaptation, and disease resistance of these species, enabling the identification of genetic markers to enhance breeding efficiency and to improve productivity. However, the application of omics technologies in mini-livestock remains limited due to challenges such as high costs, lack of reference genomes, and limited bioinformatics resources. Overcoming these barriers will be crucial for fully harnessing the potential of mini-livestock in improving global food security and environmental sustainability.