US Company Celera Genomics is to share a $58m (£40m) grant with the Baylor College of Medicine, Texas, to read the entire DNA sequence of the rat. Data from the rat genome project, which is being funded by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), will be released weekly into public databases.
Scientists hope that decoding the rat genome will help research into the understanding, prevention and treatment of several human illnesses. Although researchers use laboratory mice to study many human diseases, rats are widely used for research into high blood pressure, cancer and brain function. 'The rat is not just a big mouse. It's a very different animal' said Stephen Mockrin of the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
The collaboration could signal an end to the row between Celera and its public sector rivals over the sequencing of the human genome. Richard Gibbs, director of the Human Genome Sequencing Centre at Baylor, said he thought his group would be able to work well with the biotech firm. And Craig Venter, head of Celera, said that cooperating with the government was a cost-effective way to add to its own database of genetic information.
Sources and References
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Rat genome is next
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Celera will join a rival in rat genome project
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Government gives Celera $21 million to map rat genome
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