Dairy groups join move to map genome

Government science company AgResearch has signed up meat and dairy industry interests to its $1.79 million investment in the global "bovine genome sequence" project in the United States.

The consortium of AgResearch, Agritech Investments (a Meat New Zealand subsidiary) and Dairy InSight will each contribute about $600,000 towards the sequencing of the bovine genome, according to a letter of commitment signed last weekend.

The project has been given priority by the US National Human Genome Research Institute, and AgResearch was invited last year - with seven other international research organisations - to join the mapping effort being done at the Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) in the United States.

New Zealand's participation in the project was announced by the University of Illinois on March 12 last year, but not publicised in New Zealand until after the July 27 general election.

In effect, AgResearch and its partners will be helping to fund an international consortium of American, Canadian and French scientists in work that will enable the rapid and efficient sequencing of the entire cattle genome.

When the project is finished in three years, scientists will have new tools to genetically improve dairy and beef cattle, to enhance food safety and to protect the cattle industry against bio-terrorism.

The sequencing - essentially documenting each of the billion pairs of genes in cattle DNA - will be done by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and Texas University.

If researchers can identify functions of individual cattle genes, they could develop screening tests to help farmers selectively breeding cattle for tenderness and fat marbling, and make animals more disease-resistant and less reliant on antibiotics.

Farmers could gain access to cattle producing larger, healthier calves.

AgResearch animal genomics science leader Allan Crawford said the joint venture offered tremendous benefits to understanding and exploiting the cattle genome.

"It's an exciting project ... and will provide the groundwork for discovering those genes that improve production for dairy and meat, as well as providing potential new products and markets."

Agritech Investments general manager Neil Clarke said having the genomic sequence of a key ruminant would cut costs and speed up delivery of knowledge and practical tools such as identifying animals with more tender meat, enhanced disease resistance or reduced methane emissions.

Dairy Insight chief executive Peter Bodeker said he was pleased at the joint approach, because it was the first time all the industries had worked together for cattle genetic research.

AgResearch senior scientist John McEwan will represent New Zealand on the international sequencing advisory committee.

A special spin-off for New Zealand will be the help a complete cattle genome would give local scientists identifying genetic markers for production gains in sheep.

Being able to link DNA markers to productive traits would allow researchers to generate valuable intellectual property, such as tests for specific traits like weight gain in sheep and cattle.

The project

The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR), based in Maryland in the US, is working on identifying and mapping bovine genes.

* The project will give scientists new tools to genetically improve dairy and beef cattle, to enhance food safety and to protect the cattle industry against bio-terrorism.

* A New Zealand consortium of AgResearch, Agritech Investments and Dairy InSight has agreed to help fund the research.

* The work will be done by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and Texas University. It is expected to take three years.

- NZPA