http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091103/sc_nm/us_genes_pig_3

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – An international team of researchers said
Monday it had mapped the DNA of a domestic pig, work they say could
help lead to better breeding techniques as well as improve vaccines
against diseases such as swine flu.

They plan to look for genes useful in pork production and immunity in
pigs, which are similar in size to humans. And, like humans, they
catch influenza very easily.

"Understanding the swine genome will lead to health advancements in
the swine population and accelerate the development of vaccinations
for pigs," said Roger Beachy, Director of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

"This new insight into the genetic makeup of the swine population can
help reduce disease and enable medical advancements in both pigs and
humans," Beachy said in a statement.

"The pig is a unique animal that is important for food and that is
used as an animal model for human disease," added Larry Schook of the
University of Illinois in Champaign, who helped direct the project.

"And because the native wild animals are still in existence, it is a
really exciting animal to look at to learn about the genomic effects
of domestication."

The pandemic H1N1 swine flu virus originated in pigs and evidence
suggests it can be passed from humans to pigs and back again. Pigs are
also susceptible to many other strains of influenza.

--
Bob.