Growing up on a ranch in southwestern Minnesota, Tad Sonstegard took great pride in breeding better cattle. By age 12, he was managing the performance records for his dad’s registered Red Angus, and soon after he took on responsibility for making mating decisions to improve the herd. During his noteworthy career, the CBS Alumni Achievement Award winner has taken that passion for perfection to another level with work that uses molecular genetics to improve livestock for the good of people and animals alike.
“In his determination to apply genetics to address global food security, Dr. Sonstegard is following in the footsteps of [Nobel Peace Prize–winning agronomist] Norm Borlaug,” CBS professor emeritus Perry B. Hackett wrote in nominating Sonstegard for the award. “Throughout, he has focused on developing and applying advanced genetic technologies to improve animal welfare, production, and nutrition. The results feed people.”
Sonstegard’s foray into genetic and genome engineering began when, after earning a B.S. in agricultural biochemistry from Iowa State University in 1987, he decided to continue his formal education rather than return to the farm. He joined Hackett’s lab at the University of Minnesota and ended up not only making pivotal discoveries regarding the mechanisms of action of retroviruses but also developing skills that propelled him forward into an amazing career.
“I was lucky to have Perry as a PhD advisor,” he says.
“What he taught us, without ever having to say it, was that science works best when people collaborate and share what they know. Sometimes you have the expertise that helps someone else solve a problem, and other times they have the expertise that helps you. That willingness to work together has been a big part of how I’ve approached science throughout my career.”
After receiving his Ph.D. in genetics and cell biology in 1995, Sonstegard joined the USDA Animal Research Service and quickly rose through the ranks while making landmark contributions to livestock improvement that have dramatically improved food production around the world. In 2015 he joined Acceligen, a precision breeding company with international impact where he is currently chief science officer and scientific lead for the URUS Group Innovation Team for Genetic Advancement and Trait Discovery. Accomplishments along the way include developing genomic tools for improving dairy and beef production in developing countries, identifying markers associated with heat tolerance and disease, and reducing the environmental impact of meat and milk production – including developing a SNP chip that has been applied worldwide to fine-tune selection in more than ~35 million cattle and spawned numerous businesses.
“Receiving this recognition from the institution where it all started is especially meaningful to me,” Sonstegard says. “The University of Minnesota is where my career began, and it laid the foundation for everything I’ve accomplished since. With the mentorship of Perry Hackett, who became a lifelong friend, I built relationships and pursued innovations that have helped transform livestock genetics.”
What’s next?
“I still have the original passion of breeding the best cattle, but now I do it for a company instead of for my dad's farm,” he says. “I'll continue to work with URUS colleagues to get commercialized gene-edited bovine genetics into the market and continue to discover new traits that will advance sustainability and disease resilience in cattle. A lot of my work has been focused on trying to improve genetics in low-middle-income countries, and there's still a long way to go on that.” — Mary Hoff