Tuesday, May 26, 2009

I open the stomach of a snake and out pops a mouse...and today the Mouse Genome is released as well..


Mouse genome laid bare to science

By Paul Rincon Science reporter, BBC News

FULL STORY AT http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8069235.stm
Scientists have finished sequencing the mouse genome after a 10-year effort.
The humble mouse is the experimental workhorse in laboratories worldwide, so this high-quality genome sequence will aid in the fight against human disease.
The search for novel treatments could benefit from a greater understanding of the mouse genetic code, which is about 75% similar to our own.
An international team of researchers have published details of the work in the open-access journal PLoS Biology. The sequence comprises the full complement of genetic material in the nucleus of a cell. It is effectively the genetic "instruction booklet" for a living animal.
The mouse ( Mus musculus ) becomes only the second mammal after humans to have its complete genome laid bare. But draft sequences have been published for the chimp, dog, rat, cat, macaque and even the duck-billed platypus.
The mouse is the animal most often used to better understand human illnesses and how they develop. Research carried out using mice has led to advances in the treatment of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and countless other conditions.

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