Professor Este van Marle-Koster

Department of Animal and Wildlife Sciences

[email protected]

Animal breeding and genetics

Esté van Marle-Köster obtained an MSc (Agriculture) in Animal breeding from the University of the Free State. After working in the animal science industry she joined the University of Pretoria in 1995 and obtained a PhD (Agric) in Animal breeding and genetics in the Department of Animal and Wildlife Sciences with the focus on using molecular technology in farm animals.

Study visits were spent at the University of Wageningen, (Netherlands) and Technical University of München, Germany with the respective Animal breeding and genetics research groups. She has several peer reviewed and applied research articles.

Prof van Marle-Köster has a NRF C2-rating.      

IRT-related research

Prof Esté van Marle-Köster established the focus area for genomic research and application in farm animals within the Department of Animal Wildlife Sciences. Research projects have included genetic biodiversity of local breeds of chickens, goats and cattle. Recent projects are aimed at using SNP markers and SNP chips to generate genotypic data in Genome wide association studies. She is the principle investigator for a project on genomic selection in a number of South African beef breeds.

Key Publications

1.     Van Marle-Köster, E., Visser, C. & Berry, D.P., 2013.  A review of genomic selection - Implications for the South African beef and dairy cattle industries. S. Afr. J. Anim. Sci. 43, 1-17.

2.     Qwabe, S.O., Van Marle Köster, E. & Visser, C., 2012. Genetic diversity and population structure of the endangered Namaqua Afrikaner sheep. Trop Anim Health Prod., DOI 10.1007/s11250-012-0250-x.

3.   S.O. Qwabe, A. Maiwashe & F.C. Muchadeyi. 2013. Evaluation of the BovineSNP50 genotyping arrayin four South African cattle populations. S. Afr. J. Anim.Sci., 43:1.