Tomas Klingström

My background is in molecular biotechnology engineering, and I initially conducted research focusing on how best to utilize information and samples from biobanks. The digitalization of society means that we can now collect increasingly large datasets from various sources, and digital agriculture creates unique opportunities not only to study diseases but also to understand how a healthy individual develops and ages.

Therefore, I now lead the work with SLU’s infrastructure for cattle data, Gigacow, where we collaborate with a large number of researchers and organizations in various projects generating extensive datasets. The purpose is both to drive technological development and to study in detail the interaction between genetics and environment in the cows living their lives on farms connected to the network. As part of this work, I am active within ISO’s technical committee 347 Data-driven agrifood systems and the Knowledge Hub for Agricultural Digitalization at Linköping University.

The long-term goal of my research is to combine big data and various AI (Artificial Intelligence) methods with genomic information to better understand how an individual is shaped by the interaction between genetics and environment. I lead the Breedmaps project, where we create more detailed genetic maps for Swedish dairy breeds, and the Seydlitz Laboratory for Data-Driven Dairy and Feed Research. The Seydlitz Laboratory serves as a platform for young researchers to establish themselves as independent scientists with broad competence, also supporting other researchers in utilizing the data made available through SLU Gigacow.

As a researcher, I focus on technological and methodological development within the frameworks of SLU Gigacow and Breedmaps, while also being involved as a partner and supporter in a large number of different projects.

At SLU, I teach on the Bioinformatics course and the PhD course “Reproducibility in Research with a Focus on Data Analysis Using the Program R.”

Additionally, I designed the bioinformatics curriculum for the EU project “Defend 2020 – Addressing the Dual Emerging Threats of African Swine Fever and Lumpy Skin Disease,” and have worked as an advisor for the UN’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VETLAB) Network, which is part of the IAEA.