With the successful sequencing of the entire cow gene it could now be possible to find treatments for malaria as well as the development of a ‘supercow’. The US$52 million international collaboration is set to revolutionise the cattle industry. It was found that the cattle genome contains at least 22,000 genes and about 14,000 of these were common to all sequenced mammals (humans, rodents, dogs, opossums and platypuses). However the cattle genome seems to have slightly evolved since the lineage diverged from a common mammalian ancestor. The sequencing showed that compared to other mammals, the cattle’s gene has slightly altered in immunity, reproduction, lactation, digestion and metabolism.
With the new developments Professor David Adelson believes the cattle and medical industries will be benefitted enormously. He says that it “will mean livestock producers will not only be able to breed superior animals, but will be able to assess the genetic potential of the animals they have.” Also the develop of medical treatments for human disease may also become possible as cows do not get malaria so by targeting the genes found in cows and not humans the possible causes can be narrowed down and research more specialised.
Reference: Cooper, D, 2009, Genome map reveals cow's genetic makeup, http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2009/04/24/2551041.htm?site=science&topic=latest[Viewed: 19 May 2009]
