Posted by student: 42007492
Tutor: Margaret Jewell
Prac Session: 7 (Wed 5-8pm)
Scientists in the US have invested $US52 million dollars into attempting to successfully sequence the cow genome in order to create a “supercow”. This investigation into L1 Dominette’s genetic sequence will have positive effects for several parties. It will increase the quality of the beef and milk market in the future, whilst also providing producers will also be able to test the quality of the stock they currently have. While the cattle population has increase with human population, the genetic diversity of the animals have decreased. This has implications for the future of cattle populations, and the study into the genome will allow the possibility of breeding a “supercow” that could possible deal with climate change and the associated environmental consequences. Of the minimum 22,000 genes that the cattle genome contains, 14,000 are common to all sequenced mammals, including humans. Their altered genes are involved in immunity, reproduction, lactation, digestion and metabolism, as compared to other mammals. These differences can play a role in medical advances for human diseases, for example, malaria. As cows do not get malaria, the genes that are found in humans but now cows will narrow down targets for research.
http://abc.com.au/news/stories/2009/04/24/2551319.htm
