Researchers have completed the 'first draft' report on the swine genome sequencing project, an effort which should eventuallty spur advancements in pig production.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports this week that an international team of scientists has enabled the effort, powered by a $10 million grant from the US National Institute of food and Agriculture (NIFA).
The work will help foster advancements in swine production and human medicine, according to the USDA announcement.
"Understanding the swine genome will lead to health advancements in the swine population and accelerate the development of vaccinations for pigs," said Roger Beachy, NIFA director. "This new insight into the genetic makeup of the swine population can help reduce disease and enable medical advancements in both pigs and humans."
The draft, 98pc complete, will allow researchers to find genes useful to pork production, or those involved in immunity and other physiological processes.
This can enhance breeding practices, offer insight into diseases that afflict pigs - and sometimes humans - and can help preserve the global heritage of rare, endangered and wild pigs.
NIFA (previously the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service) provided the $10 million in funding in 2006 to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).
The total cost was about $24.3 million, with additional support from USDA's Agricultural Research Service and various American, Asian and European funders.
UIUC chose a red-haired Duroc pig from a farm at the university to use for the sequencing project.
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