"genome" news and stories

On the heels of a great Harpers article about the business of pig breeding, Wired recently ran a piece about the sequencing pig genomes. Once the process is complete, breeders will be able to determine which pigs will taste best prior to slaughter as well as which will have the best yield and be less prone to disease. From there, these qualities can be built upon and accentuated.

The gist of the Harpers piece (which I don"t think is available on-line) is that there"s currently a movement among some of America"s largest pork producers to move back to a less lean, more complexly flavored type of pork. This move away from what the author calls "the chickenifaction of the American pig" is done by introducing stock from pigs (via pig sperm banks) that have not been bred so intensely.

Both are definitely worth a read if you"re interested in the fine tuning of livestock.

[Wired article via The Food Section]

In an effort to breed better pork, the USDA will give $10 million to the University of Illinois to obtain a draft sequence of swine genome. The goal of the project is to create DNA-based tools to identify and propagate pigs that are more resistant to disease, breed larger litters and produce leaner meat. It's worth noting that heirloom pork has gained popularity, in part, because it isn't lean. The USDA isn't just seeking leaner pigs, but bigger, meatier pigs in general. The project would also try to identify the ideal climates for different breeds of pig, thereby allowing the animals to grow to their fullest potential. Work is scheduled to end in late 2007--the Chinese year of the pig.

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