Happy Holidays and New Year to you, your families and colleagues! In case you missed it. The Swine Genome Sequencing Consortium is pleased to announce the publication of a high quality draft genome sequence for the pig (Sus scrofa). The paper entitled "Analyses of pig genomes provide insight into porcine demography and evolution" describing the sequencing, analysis and annotation of this draft genome sequence was published in Nature November 15. In parallel a series of companion papers has been published in BMC journals. This sequence paper represents an important landmark for the Consortium which was launched back in 2003. For many of the authors their collaborative research in pig genetics and genomics stretches back to the early 1990s and the European PiGMaP project and USDA Pig Genome Coordinated activities in the US. The project has benefited from these long established collaborations and friendships. Transnational funding was critical to the delivery of the project, including USDA funding to The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, European Commission and European Research Council funding and significant contributions from Korean, Japanese and Chinese national sources and many others including several US universities and industry partners which are all acknowledged in the paper. The draft pig genome sequence, the pig genome paper and associated companion papers are important achievements for the pig research community, but there is more still to learn and do (kindly provided by the Swine Genome Sequencing Consortium).The PAG XXI and NRSP-8 Swine Genome meetings are around the corner. The PAG meetings will be January 12-16, 2013, in San Diego. Speakers include Eric Perakslis (US FDA), Michael Eisen (UC Berkeley), Daniel Chourrout (Sars Centre, Norway), Greger Larson (Durham U.), Steve Jacobsen (UCLA), Gonçalo Abecasis (U. of Michigan), Michele Morgante (U. of Udine, Italy) and Gary Muehlbauer (U. of Minnesota), see the program at http://www.intlpag.org . The Swine Genome Workshop is all day Saturday January 12 with the morning being a joint session with the Cattle and Sheep Workshop https://pag.confex.com/pag/xxi/webprogram/Session1497.html and a Pig only session in the afternoon https://pag.confex.com/pag/xxi/webprogram/Session1590.html . There are some great talks planned. On Sunday afternoon beginning at 1:30 pm, the joint NRSP-8 workshop looks to have some very interesting talks as well and the NRSP-8 business meeting. For details please see https://pag.confex.com/pag/xxi/webprogram/Session1553.html . Funds available for genome community. Funds are available from now until August 1, 2013 for shared genotyping and phenotyping activities in the pig community. The best types of projects are those who have not received funds in the past and who are between two or more stations for genotyping with the SNP chips (60K or new 10K) or for collection of specialized phenotypes. Please contact the Swine Genome Coordinator to discuss your requests. NRSP-8 revision is nearly finished. A special thanks goes out to Tom Porter for chair this undertaking and a number of others including Milt Thomas, James Mickelson, Stephen White, Eric Peatman, Daniel Ciobanu, Cathy Ernst, Kristi Cammack, Jamie MacLeod, Moh Salem, Jerry Dodgson, Hans Cheng, James Reecy, Noelle Cockett, Ernie Bailey, Caird Rexroad, John Liu, Max Rothschild and Juan Medrano for their work on writing and revising the proposal. The swine genome coordinator is always glad to hear from NRSP-8 members and other readers about ways that the coordination effort can be improved or provide resources that are needed. Also, if you have items of general interest to the swine genetics and genomics communities that can be included in this newsletter please share. Upcoming meetings (see: http://www.animalgenome.org/pigs/community/meetings.html)
A special thanks to friends and colleagues for your help and support. Please take some time off to enjoy the holidays!! Max Rothschild U.S. Pig Genome Coordinator 2255 Kildee Hall, Department of Animal Science Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 50011 Phone/Fax: 515-294-6202 mfrothsc@iastate.edu http://www.animalgenome.org/pig/
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