Abstracts of the 25th International Colloquium on Animal Cytogenetics and Genomics (25th ICACG), 26–29 June 2024, Naples, Italy

The 25th International Colloquium on Animal Cytogenetics and Genomics is dedicated to the memory of Dr. James (Jim) Womack, a pioneer in gene mapping, especially in cattle. The meeting opened with an obituary presented by Prof. Penny Riggs, a former student at Texas A&M University (TAMU) and now a professor in the same department. The meeting was organized into 10 sessions, beginning with General Opening Session 1, which featured three main lectures highlighting the fields of animal cytogenetics and genomics. As expected, among the 83 accepted abstracts for publication, those related to animal genomics were more prevalent than those focused solely on cytogenetics. However, several abstracts combined the two disciplines (Cytogenomics) to provide a deeper understanding of animal genomes and to better identify latent chromosome abnormalities related to fertility. Various genomic approaches were reported in several abstracts, aimed at improving the selection of animals for productive traits, disease resistance, and animal biodiversity. Given the numerous abstracts on water buffalo (river type), a specific session was dedicated to this species, which is particularly important in Eastern, South American, and Mediterranean countries. Nonetheless, research on a wide range of animal species, including domestic and non-domestic animals, non-mammalian vertebrates, and invertebrates, was also presented. Special attention was given to the posters, which were displayed throughout the meeting. Additionally, 15 of the posters, selected by the chairpersons of the poster session, are presented and discussed on the final day. Five posters received awards. All abstracts underwent peer review, and only a few required corrections or modifications. In conclusion, the colloquium featured 13 lectures (L), 27 oral communications (O), and 43 posters (P). Each presentation was numbered according to the congress program. Special thanks to the editorial staff of the “Biology and Life Science Forum” journal for their assistance with the abstract’s review and editing