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Genome scientists eye hardy bovines
15 Dec 2003
CSIRO is taking part in a $71.5 million international project to sequence the cattle genome. As part of the project, CSIRO scientists have begun a $1.5 million exercise to find the ultimate north Australian bovine. The research team leader said the animals and environment in northern Australia are very different from the rest of the world and the team is hoping there will be some information from the genome to allow selection for more drought and disease resistance.
Northern Australia is a very extreme environment ranging from very good pasture to drought and heat conditions. There are many disease challenges and the breed of animals is different from southern Australia. The result is that northern cattle don't produce as high a quality product as southern cattle, according to CSIRO.
The project aims to have the estimated three billion base pairs in the cattle genome sequenced by 2005, which will underpin the creation of innovative products and solutions to livestock industry production problems. Expected benefits include the ability to identify the genes controlling growth efficiency, muscle development and milk composition, and to breed cattle more resistant to disease.
The Courier-Mail, 15/12/03, page 6.
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