Brits Jump The Gun On Wheat Genome – for Sep. 9, 2010

Efforts to sequence the wheat genome are only at an initial stage of what will be a long-term project requiring more government support, leading Chinese and international scientists said Aug. 31. British researchers last month released the first version of the wheat genome, a step toward a fully analyzed map that should help wheat breeders




New Genetic Testing Technology Revolutionizing Swine Breeding

bernie peet Peet on Pigs “The genome of the pig has millions of such SNP locations, so SNPs are a rich resource for use as genetic markers.” Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting Ltd. of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal. His columns will run every second week in the Manitoba


ALMA Supports BSE-Testing Study

“This idea arose from a meeting between ALMA, APRI and PrioNet Canada to determine what prion-related issues were facing the livestock industry.” A proposal for a study that has been a long time coming is being initiated by a consortium made up of the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA), the Alberta Prion Research Institute

New Software Speeds Plant Breeding Efficiency

Two Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) scientists have developed software that allows researchers to make genetic comparisons on varieties with the click of a mouse. Software developments and a gene-mapping database funded by the Western Grains Research Foundation Endowment Fund are expected to vastly decrease the amount of time spent sorting through data to make


Genetic Blueprint For Cattle Created

Scientists have created the first genetic blueprint of domestic cattle, saying the map may lead to tastier beef, better milk and even new insights about human health. The Hereford cow’s is the first mapped livestock animal sequence, and the researchers think it will help explain how cattle evolved, why they ended up with a four-chambered

DNA May Lead To BSE Blood Test

Scientists at the University of Calgary say they may have found a common DNA denominator in animals with BSE or related diseases. That, in turn, may mean BSE could eventually be confirmed simply and cheaply by a live blood test. Such a testing method would likely be the grail of BSE research. Confirming BSE currently