Researchers to map pig DNA
ILLNOIS - A team of researchers won a $10 million federal grant to provide the first complete sequence of the swine genome -- a genetic map they say could help farmers produce better hogs, give consumers tastier pork and ultimately benefit human health.University of Illinois professors Lawrence Schook and John Beever last summer completed a side-by-side comparison of the pig and human genomes. They will head a project involving researchers at other U.S. universities, the government and laboratories in France and England.
The project is expected to be completed within two years at a cost of about $20 million, Schook said.
"Pork is the major red meat consumed worldwide," U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said in a news release announcing the grant. "With more than 61 million pigs in the nation, the sequence of the pig genome will have a significant impact on U.S. agriculture."
Source: CNN
23 January 2006
2 minute read
