The Kennel Club Genetics Centre (KCGC) is slowly, but surely, settling into the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Cambridge. The team now has a full complement of 9 members, all of whom have come from the Animal Health Trust (an indication of how much we all love and believe in the work that we do).

We have spent the first few weeks sorting out our new space, unpacking our samples, downloading data and finding our way around. As a result of the pandemic we are still largely working from home which has meant the moving in process has taken a bit longer than it would done under normal circumstances, but we are more or less ‘back to business’ now. The best way to contact us is via email (kcgc@vet.cam.ac.uk) or using the enquiry page on our website.

veryone’s favourite Scotsman, Bryan McLaughlin, is a crucially important member of the team and is the person most people will meet first when they contact the KCGC. Bryan answers the majority of enquiries made to the KCGC, maintains our valuable DNA sample collection and distributes DNA sample collection kits for the collection of new DNA samples for our many different research projects. Bryan is a member of the KCGC team and is based in Cambridge, but is now an employee of the Kennel Club which we hope will ensure an even better level of communication and collaboration between the Kennel Club and the KCGC.

Website and Social Media We have recently launched our very own website at www.canine-genetics.org.uk. You will be able to find more information about what we do and what we are currently working on, how you can help and how to get in touch. It is very much a work in progress, and we will be adding more information and features over the coming weeks and months. Please do come back to visit regularly. In addition, we also have profiles on various social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

DNA Testing Service

To complement the research undertaken in the KCGC we are also working towards launching a DNA testing facility that will be operated independently from the KCGC. As with everything else, the pandemic has taken its toll and it has taken us much longer to establish the service than we hoped it would. However, we are making progress and expect to be open for business shortly.