Posted: November 3rd, 2009 - 7:55am
Source: AFP

An international team of scientists announced on Monday that it had produced a first draft of the genome of a domesticated pig, an achievement that researchers say will lead to insights in agriculture, medicine, conservation and evolution.
A red-haired Duroc pig from a farm at the University of Illinois was used in the experiment, the detailed results of which will be formally announced at a meeting at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Hinxton, England, on Monday.
The Duroc is one of five major breeds used in pork production around the world and is one of about 200 breeds of domesticated pigs.
"The pig is a unique animal that is important for food and that is used as an animal model for human disease," said Larry Schook, a University of Illinois professor of biomedical sciences and leader of the sequencing project.