Celera Wins Grant to Decode Rat Genome

Following its successes with decoding the genomes of humans, mice and flies, Celera Genomics recently announced it had been awarded a $58 million National Institutes Health grant, along with the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, to sequence the DNA of rats. Since rats are widely used in medical experiments already, the rat genome could provide a lot of clues to understanding human and animal diseases.

The rat’s genome is believed to be about the same size as that of human beings. Rats are preferred over mice in medical research because, among other things, they have larger bodies which make it easier to study models of human diseases.

Celera’s Craig Venter told The BBC, “WE believe that by pooling our resources [with the Baylor College of Medicine] we can quickly unlock the mysteries of this important model organism which should aid researchers in their quest for a better understanding of basic human biology and health, and thus to find improved cures and treatments for disease.”

Source:

Rat genome is next. The BBC, March 1, 2001.

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