Dr Robert Mukiibi
BSc, MSc, PhD, PgCLecturer Animal Science
My current area of research is in farmed animal genomics and breeding. Mainly understanding the genetic controls of complex and important traits in farmed animal species, especially growth and disease resistance traits in fish. I am also actively working on understanding the genetic architecture of feed efficiency in beef cattle. This research is overall focused on identifying genomic regions that can be exploited for improving the performance and welfare of farmed animals.
Professional Memberships
Fisheries Society of the British Isles
Academic Department: Animal Health, Behaviour and Welfare
Research: Animal Science Research Centre
Research: Pig, Poultry and Aquatic Animals Group
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Office: N3 Jubilee Adams, Tudor Lodge and NW Building
Research profile:
Publications
Other publications
- Yangzhen Li, Clémence Fraslin, Ailing Wu, Haomin Lyu, Haien Zhang, Diego Robledo, Robert Mukiibi, Widong Li, Songlin Chen (2026) Quantitative genetic architecture of growth traits across sequential rearing phases in tiger pufferfish (Takifugu rubripes) Aquaculture 621
- Zexin Jiao, Robert Mukiibi, Manu Kumar Gundappa, Massimiliano Babbucci, James GD Prendergast, Diego Robledo, Luca Bargelloni, Daniel J Macqueen (2026) Structural variant landscape provides insights into genome organisation and domestication in European seabass BMC Biology 23
- Yangzhen Li, Clémence Fraslin, Yong Chi, Robert Mukiibi, Yuanri Hu, Jialin Wang, Weiguo Li, Weidong Li, Ross D Houston, Diego Robledo, Songlin Chen (2026) A newly developed 20 K SNP array reveals QTLs for disease resistance to Cryptocaryon irritans in tiger pufferfish (Takifugu rubripes) Aquaculture 595
- Derong Xu, Lili Wei, Liping Zeng, Robert Mukiibi, Hongbo Xin, Feng Zhang (2026) An integrated mRNA–lncRNA signature for overall survival prediction in cholangiocarcinoma Medicine 102
- K Fernández, S McMillan, M Sprague, L Martínez-Rubio, A Norris, I Stubhaug, R Mukiibi, MB Robledo Betancor (2026) Assessing early utilisation of vegetable-based feed and its interaction with genotype and epigenetics in Atlantic salmon Aquaculture 2023
- Sara Faggion, R Mukiibi, D Bertotto, L Peruzza, M Babbucci, R Franch, G Dalla, S Rovere, C Peñaloza, R Houston, D Robledo, P Carnier, L Bargelloni (2026) Integrating functional annotation data in genomic prediction of VNN resistance in European sea bass.
- R Mukiibi, D Robledo, C Peñaloza, S Ferraresso, R Franch, D Bertotto, M Freguglia, S Laureau, F Pascoli, A Toffan, C Tsigenopolous, L Bargelloni, R Houston (2026) A major QTL affects resistance to viral nervous necrosis in farmed European seabass
- Jiyuan Li, Yining Wang, Robert Mukiibi, Brian Karisa, Graham S Plastow, Changxi Li (2026) Integrative analyses of genomic and metabolomic data reveal genetic mechanisms associated with carcass merit traits in beef cattle Scientific reports 12
- Jiyuan Li, Robert Mukiibi, Yining Wang, Graham S Plastow, Changxi Li (2026) Identification of candidate genes and enriched biological functions for feed efficiency traits by integrating plasma metabolites and imputed whole genome sequence variants in beef cattle BMC genomics 22
- Robert Mukiibi, Dayle Johnston, Michael Vinsky, Carolyn Fitzsimmons, Paul Stothard, Sinéad M Waters, Changxi Li (2026) Bovine hepatic miRNAome profiling and differential miRNA expression analyses between beef steers with divergent feed efficiency phenotypes Scientific reports 10
- Feng Zhang, Liping Zeng, Qinming Cai, Zihao Xu, Ruida Liu, Haicheng Zhong, Robert Mukiibi, Libin Deng, Xiaoli Tang, Hongbo Xin (2026) Comprehensive analysis of a long noncoding RNA-associated competing endogenous RNA network in Wilms tumor Cancer Control 27
- Yining Wang, Feng Zhang, Robert Mukiibi, Liuhong Chen, Michael Vinsky, Graham Plastow, John Basarab, Paul Stothard, Changxi Li (2026) Genetic architecture of quantitative traits in beef cattle revealed by genome wide association studies of imputed whole genome sequence variants: II: carcass merit traits BMC genomics 21
- Robert Mukiibi, Michael Vinsky, Kate Keogh, Carolyn Fitzsimmons, Paul Stothard, Sinéad M Waters, Changxi Li (2026) Liver transcriptome profiling of beef steers with divergent growth rate, feed intake, or metabolic body weight phenotypes Journal of animal science 97
- R Mukiibi, M Vinsky, K Keogh, C Fitzsimmons, S Waters, P Stothard, C Li (2026) Skeletal muscle transcriptional profiling of Canadian crossbred beef cattle divergent for feed efficiency traits Journal of animal science 96
- Robert Mukiibi, Michael Vinsky, Kate A Keogh, Carolyn Fitzsimmons, Paul Stothard, Sinéad M Waters, Changxi Li (2026) Transcriptome analyses reveal reduced hepatic lipid synthesis and accumulation in more feed efficient beef cattle Scientific reports 8
- RB Onzima, Robert Mukiibi, A Ampaire, KK Benda, E Kanis (2026) Between-breed variations in resistance/resilience to gastrointestinal nematodes among indigenous goat breeds in Uganda Tropical Animal Health and Production 49
- Robert Mukiibi, CM Rochus, Göran Andersson, Anna Maria Johansson (2026) The use of endogenous retroviruses as markers to describe the genetic relationships among local Swedish sheep breeds 46 Animal Genetics
- Diego Robledo, Joel Ogwang, Ezra Byakora, Jennifer C Nascimento-Schulze, Katali Kirungi Benda, Clemence Fraslin, Sarah Salisbury, Moses Solimo, Johnson Francis Mayega, Beine Peter, Charles Masembe, Ross Houston, Robert Mukiibi (2026) Genetic diversity and population structure of farmed and wild Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in Uganda: The potential for aquaculture selection and breeding programs Genomics 116
- Insights into Solea senegalensis Reproduction Through Gonadal Tissue Methylation Analysis and Transcriptomic Integration (2025) Daniel Ramírez, Marco Anaya-Romero, María Esther Rodríguez, Alberto Arias-Pérez, Robert Mukiibi, Helena D’Cotta, Diego Robledo, Laureana Rebordinos Biomolecules 15
- Yangzhen Li, Limin Song, Xu Yan, Yong Chi, Yuanri Hu, Jialin Wang, Diego Robeldo, Robert Mukiibi, Songlin Chen (2025) Orchestrated immune responses to Mycobacterium marinum natural infection in tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis) Fish & Shellfish Immunology 158
- Yong Chi, Clémence Fraslin, Robert Mukiibi, Yuanri Hu, Weidong Li, Diego Robledo, Songlin Chen, Yangzhen Li (2025) First genome-wide association and genomic prediction of ammonia?nitrogen tolerance in tiger pufferfish (Takifugu rubripes) Aquaculture 600
- Enrique Sanchez-Molano, Robert Mukiibi, Valentina Riggio, Joel Ogwang, Leonard Kawule, Katali Benda, Peter Beine, Barend M de Clare Bronsvoort, James Prendergast, Andrea B Doeschl-Wilson, Adrian Muwonge (2025) Genomic and health characteristics of crossbred dairy cattle in central Uganda Frontiers in Genetics 16 - 2025
- Robert Mukiibi, Serena Ferraresso, Rafaella Franch, Luca Peruzza, Giulia Dalla Rovere, Massimiliano Babbucci, Daniela Bertotto, Anna Toffan, Francesco Pascoli, Sara Faggion, Carolina Peñaloza, Costas S Tsigenopoulos, Ross D Houston, Luca Bargelloni, Diego Robledo (2025) Integrated functional genomic analysis identifies regulatory variants underlying a major QTL for disease resistance in European sea bass BMC Biology 23
- Daniel Ramírez, María Esther Rodríguez, Robert Mukiibi, Carolina Peñaloza, Helena D’Cotta, Diego Robledo, Laureana Rebordinos (2024) Methylation profile of the testes of the flatfish Solea senegalensis Aquaculture Reports 39
- Yong Chi, Robert Mukiibi, Hongxiang Zhang, Haien Zhang, Weidong Li, Diego Robledo, Songlin Chen, Yangzhen Li (2024) Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Immunosuppression in Tiger Pufferfish (Takifugu rubripes) under Cryptocaryon irritans Infection Animals 14
- Charles Masembe, Kirungi Katali Benda, Oluyinka Opoola, Mayega Johnson Francis, Ruth Pamela Ndinawe, Peter Beine, Robert Mukiibi (2023) A case of forensic genomics in Uganda reveals animal ownership and low exotic genetic introgression in indigenous cattle Veterinary Medicine and Science 9
- Jiyuan Li, Robert Mukiibi, Janelle Jiminez, Zhiquan Wang, Everestus C Akanno, Edouard Timsit, Graham S Plastow (2022) Applying multi-omics data to study the genetic background of bovine respiratory disease infection in feedlot crossbred cattle Frontiers in genetics 13
- Robert Mukiibi, Carolina Peñaloza, Alejandro Gutierrez, José M Yáñez, Ross D Houston, Diego Robledo (2022) The impact of Piscirickettsia salmonis infection on genome-wide DNA methylation profile in Atlantic Salmon Genomics 114
- Dayle Johnston, Robert Mukiibi, Sinéad M Waters, Mark McGee, Carla Surlis, Jennifer C McClure, Matthew C McClure, Cynthia G Todd, Bernadette Earley (2020) Genome wide association study of passive immunity and disease traits in beef-suckler and dairy calves on Irish farms Scientific reports 10