Daniel C Ciobanu

Assistant Professor, Molecular Genetics

A218k, Animal Science Building
Lincoln, NE 68583-0908
Phone: (402) 472 8066
Fax: (402) 472 6362
Email: dciobanu2@unl.edu

RESEARCH INTEREST

In our laboratory we apply genome-wide associations, functional genomics and systems genetics to dissect the molecular architecture of complex physiological traits important in swine and in human health. The goal of the swine research is to identify genes, genetic variants, and genetic networks that explain phenotypic variation of susceptibility to Porcine Circovirus 2b (funding from Genome Canada, 2011-2014) and sow reproductive longevity (funding from National Pork Board, 2010-2012). We also use a mouse resource population (BXD family of strains) as a model for human health to uncover natural genetic variants that explain variation in gut microbial composition and also explore its impact on obesity and other metabolic phenotypes that affect health.

Laboratory website: http://www.animalscience.unl.edu/DanielCiobanuGenomicsLab.html

EDUCATION

• 1992, B.S., Animal Science, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
• 1999, Ph.D., Animal Breeding and Genetics, Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Bucharest, Romania.
• 1999-2002, Post-doctorate, Swine Molecular Genetics, Iowa State University, Department of Animal Science, IA.

POSITION HELD

• 2009 - present, Assistant Professor of Molecular Genetics, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE.
• 2006 - 2008, Research Associate, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Memphis, TN.
• 2002 – 2006, Molecular Biology Project Manager, PIC USA, Berkeley, CA and Franklin, KY.
• 1999 – 2002, Postdoctoral Fellow, Swine Molecular Genetics, Iowa State University, Department of Animal Science, IA.
• 1992 – 1999, Teaching Assistant, Genetics Unit, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
  

INSTRUCTION

• ANSCI 496/896 Genome Analysis (Spring, 3 credits)

SELECTED PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

• Tart J.K., R.K. Johnson, J.W. Bundy, N.N. Ferdinand, A.M. McKnite, J.R. Wood, P.S. Miller, M.F. Rothschild, M.L. Spangler, D.J. Garrick, S.D. Kachman, D.C. Ciobanu (2012) Genome-wide prediction of age at puberty and reproductive longevity in sows (submitted to Animal Genetics).
• McKnite A.M, Perez-Munoz M.E., Lu L., Williams E.G., Brewer S., Andreux P., Wang X., Kachman S.D., Auwerx J., Williams R.W., Benson A.K., Peterson D.P., Ciobanu D.C (2012) Murine Gut Microbiota is Defined by Host Genetics and Modulates Variation of Metabolic Traits, PLoS One, 7(6):e39191. Epub 2012 Jun 18.
• Whitney I.E., Raven M.A., Ciobanu D.C., Poché R.A., Ding Q., Elshatory Y., Gan L., Williams R.W., Reese B.E. (2011) Genetic modulation of horizontal cell number in the mouse retina. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 108: 9697-9702.
• Mozhui, K., R.-M. Karlsson, T.L. Kash, J. Ihne, M. Norcross, S. Patel, M. Camp, H.A. Cameron, D.C. Ciobanu, D.G. Winder, R.W. Williams, A. Holmes (2010) Neuronal and molecular correlates of trait and stress-induced variation in anxiety-like behavior between genetic mouse strains, Journal of Neuroscience 30: 5357-67.
• Kinghorn, B.P., J.W.M. Bastiaansen, D.C. Ciobanu, H.A.M. van der Steen (2010) Quantitative genotyping to estimate genetic contributions to pooled samples and genetic merit of the contributing entities. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica Section A 60: 3-12.
• Ciobanu D.C., L. Lu, K. Mozui, X. Wang, M. Jagalur, J.A. Morris, W.L. Taylor, K. Dietz, P. Simon, R.W. Williams (2010) Dissection of expression variation and downstream analysis of cis-modulation. Genetics 184, 119-28.
• Du Z.-Q., D.C. Ciobanu, S.K. Onteru, D. Gorbach, A.J. Mileham, G. Jaramillo, M.F. Rothschild (2009) A Gene-based SNP Linkage Map for Pacific White Shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Animal Genetics doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2052.2009.02002.x.
• Ciobanu, D.C., J.W.M. Bastiaansen, J. Magrin, J.L. Rocha, D.-H. Jiang, N. Yu, B. Geiger, N. Deeb, D. Rocha, H. Gong, B.P. Kinghorn, G.S. Plastow, H.A.M. van der Steen and A.J. Mileham (2010) A major SNP resource for dissection of phenotypic and genetic variation in Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). Animal Genetics doi:10.1111/j.1365-2052.
• Mozhui K., Ciobanu D.C., Schikorski T., Wang X., Lu L., Williams R.W., (2008). Dissection of a QTL hotspot on mouse distal chromosome 1 that modulates neurobehavioral phenotypes and gene expression. PLoS Genet. 4: e1000260.
• Whitney I.E., M.A. Raven, D.C. Ciobanu, R.W. Williams, B.E. Reese (2009) Multiple genes on chromosome 7 regulate dopaminergic amacrine cell number in the mouse retina. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 50: 1996-2003.
• Olsen, C.M., Y. Huang, S. Goodwin, D.C. Ciobanu, L. Lu, T.R. Sutter, D.G. Winder (2007) Microarray analysis reveals distinctive signaling between the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis, Nucleus Accumbens, and Dorsal Striatum. Physiological Genomics 12, 1212-24.
• Barbut, S., A.A. Sosnicki, S.M. Lonergan, T. Knapp, D.C. Ciobanu, L.J. Gatcliffe, E. Huff-Lonergan and E.W. Wilson (2008) Progress in reducing the pale, soft and exudative (PSE) problem in pork and poultry meat. Meat Science 79, 46-63.
• Guimaraes, S.E.F., M.F. Rothschild, D. Ciobanu, C.H. Stahl, S.M. Lonergan (2007) SNP discovery, expression and association analysis for the SDHD gene in pigs. J. of Anim. Breed. and Genet. 124, 246-53.
• Ciobanu D.C., Bastiaansen J.W., Lonergan S.M., Thomsen H., Dekkers J.C., Plastow G.S., Rothschild M.F. 2004, New alleles in calpastatin gene are associated with meat quality traits in pigs. J. Anim. Sci. 82: 2829-39.
• Schmutz S.M., Berryere T.G., Ciobanu D.C., Mileham A.J., Schmidtz B.H., Fredholm M. 2004. A form of albinism in cattle is caused by a tyrosinase frameshift mutation. Mamm. Genome. 15 (1): 62-7.
• Ciobanu D.C., J. Bastiaansen, M. Malek, J. Helm, J. Woollard, G. Plastow and M. Rothschild, 2001, Evidence for new alleles in the protein kinase AMP-activated, 3 subunit gene associated with low glycogen content in pig skeletal muscle and improved meat quality, Genetics 159:1151-62.
• Ciobanu D.C., A.E. Day, A. Nagy, R. Wales, M.F. Rothschild and G.S. Plastow, 2001, Genetic variation in two conserved local Romanian pig breeds using type 1 DNA markers, Genet. Sel. Evol. 33, 417-432.

EXTENSION PUBLICATIONS

• Ciobanu D.C., N. Ferdinand, S.D. Kachman, A.M. McKnite, S.C. Brewer, P.S. Miller, R.K. Johnson (2011) Genome-Wide Association Studies of Sow Lifetime Productivity, UNL Swine Report, EC219, 28-30
• Bohnert T., A. McKnite, J. Galeota, T. Moural, S. Harris, R. Johnson, D. Ciobanu (2011) Variation in Response to Infection in Experimental Challenges with Porcine Circovirus 2b, UNL Swine Report, EC219, 31-35.

CONTRIBUTION IN BOOKS

• Ciobanu, D.C., S.M. Lonergan and E. J. Huff-Lonergan (2011) Genetics of meat quality and carcass traits, in Genetics of the Pig edited by Max F. Rothschild and Anatoly Ruvinsky, CABI Publishing Group, UK.
• Ciobanu, D.C., M.F. Rothschild, G.S. Plastow, 2005 The role of molecular genetics in animal breeding: strategies and results. In "Animal Breeding Programs" Eds. Oltenacu, N., Grosu, H., Ceres.
• Rothschild, M.F., J. P. Bidanel, D.C. Ciobanu. 2004. Genome Analysis of QTL for Muscle Tissue Development and Meat Quality. In: Muscle Development of Livestock Animals. Physiology, Genetics and Muscle Quality, Eds: M.F.W. te Pas, H.P. Haagsman and M.E. Everts, CABI.