Pig Genome Update No. 66

angenmap@db.genome.iastate.edu
May 1, 2004

1. The joint meetings of the Midwestern Sections of ASAS and ADSA held
2. The British Pig Breeders Roundtable was held
3. International sequencing consortium launches online resource
4. Change in pig arrays ordering is now in place
5. Swine Genome Sequencing Consortium continues to try to reach its goal
6. Deadlines for the 2004 NRI RFA were announced
7. Upcoming meetings (6 items)

The joint meetings of the Midwestern Sections of the American Society of Animal Science and the American Dairy Science Association were again held in Des Moines, Iowa March 15-17. An excellent set of posters and presentations covered a number of different genes, QTL and marker assisted selection research projects.

GO TO TOP


The British Pig Breeders Roundtable was held April 21-23, 2004 in Wye UK. The meeting attracted some 60 students and researchers interested in a number of topics including QTL, gene markers and new traits. Dr. Alan Archibald presented an update on efforts to raise funding for the pig genome sequencing project. The meeting format provided for considerable discussion and was excellent as always. This event is held every two years just after Easter and provides an excellent forum. A future meeting has been planned for the same time in April of 2006. Please plan to attend.

GO TO TOP


International sequencing consortium launches online resource. The International Sequencing Consortium (ISC) has launched a free, online resource where scientists and the public can get the latest information on the status of sequencing projects for animal, plant and other eukaryotic genomes. The new resource can be accessed through ISC's home page, http://www.intlgenome.org . The database enables users to quickly sort sequencing project information by organism, by sequencing group or by funding agency. Information about each sequencing project includes timetables for completion, along with brief descriptions of sequencing strategies being employed. In many cases, the database also features links to the individual sequencing projects' Web sites and the sites of their funding agencies, such as NHGRI. Also available are links to other publicly run databases where the actual DNA sequence data is deposited. The ISC was established in 2002 to provide a worldwide forum for genomic sequencing groups and their funding agencies to share information, coordinate research efforts and address common issues raised by genomic sequencing, such as data release and data quality.

GO TO TOP


Change in pig arrays ordering is now in place. Ordering of arrays from the Pig Genome Coordination program was temporarily halted to keep pace with the number of demands made to date. Concern was raised that requests will exceed the materials in place for the 13,000 element oligo array slides that are being printed. Individual researchers at NRSP-8 schools or research units have in the past requested 20 free arrays and later up to 50 additional ones of which they have paid the printing costs. Additional orders can now be placed for new investigators, based on availability only, by first going to the web site: http://www.genome.iastate.edu/resources/array_request.html to place an order. Please note, to get the information on the gene list you must sign the Qiagen non-disclosure agreement (NDA). This likely requires visiting with your purchasing and or intellectual property office on your campus. Those scientists in NRSP-8 that have already reached their quota will not be able to order additional arrays at this time. Shipping will occur after you specify by email when you want the arrays.

GO TO TOP


Swine Genome Sequencing Consortium continues to try to reach its goal. Efforts continue to move forward to raise the funds needed to advance the sequencing of the pig genome. If you can help in raising these funds please contact Larry Schook at UIUC or Max Rothschild.

GO TO TOP


Deadlines for the 2004 NRI RFA were announced. Please go to the NRI website (www.reeusda.gov/nri/) for details. The NRI competitive grants program Animal Genomics, Animal Genome Reagent & Tool Development and Functional Genomics of Agriculturally Important Organisms deadlines are June 15, 2004. Total 2004 NRI funding was finally approved at $165M. New, multi-institutional special programs have been added to the '04 RFA, and it's unclear how much these will detract from individual investigator-based awards. Funding limits have also increased, most often to a total of $500,000 (varies depending on program).

GO TO TOP


Upcoming meetings (see: http://www.genome.iastate.edu/community/meetings.html ) Additional items can be found at: http://www.agbiotechnet.com/calendar/index.asp .

GO TO TOP


Items for Pig Genome Update 67 can be sent to me by no later than June 15 please.

                    Max Rothschild
                    U.S. Pig Genome Coordinator
                    2255 Kildee Hall, Department of Animal Science
                    Iowa State University
                    Ames, Iowa 50011
                    Phone: 515-294-6202, Fax: 515-294-2401
                    mfrothsc@iastate.edu

cc: Muquarrab Qureshi, CSREES and Caird Rexroad II, ARS

U.S. PIG GENOME COORDINATION PROJECT
Paid for by funds from the NRSP-8
USDA/CSREES sponsored
Pig Genome Coordination Program
http://www.genome.iastate.edu/
Mailing list: angenmap@db.genome.iastate.edu


© US Pig Genome Coordination Program