Pig genomes decoded

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That this House welcomes news that Midlothian-based scientists have decoded the whole genetic make-up of pigs in a development that will facilitate the discovery of genetic variations linked to key traits; recognises that the study was led by scientists at the Roslin Institute and the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service Meat Animal Research Centre and involved 40 scientists from 15 laboratories in the UK and US; understands that the findings could help improve selective breeding and enable more accurate use of gene-editing technologies to develop pigs with desired characteristics, such as resistance to infectious diseases; further understands that knowledge of that genome also enables identification of genetic similarities between pigs and humans, which will enhance biomedical research in which pigs are used as models to study human health; and commends the Roslin Institute for its world-renowned innovation and hard work.