give a dog a genome
Welcome to Give a Dog a Genome, a new initiative launched by the Kennel Club Genetics Centre at the AHT to create the UK’s largest canine genome bank to help generations of dogs.
This genome bank will improve dog health by radically increasing our understanding of the canine genome by sequencing the entire genome (all 2.4 billion letters of DNA) of a large number of different breeds.
GDG update:
Since Give a Dog a Genome (GDG) was launched on 25 January support for the project by breed communities has been extraordinary. To date 74 breeds have registered their interest, with 44 of these having already raised the £1,000 donation required to secure their place in the genome bank.
In order to meet the enthusiasm of so many breeds, we are currently securing additional funding that will enable us to sequence the genome of a dog from 75 breeds, instead of 50 breeds as originally proposed. This will be known as 'phase 1' or GDG1.
As we start the exciting process of selecting dogs for sequencing any additional breeds wishing to participate in Give a Dog a Genome will be entered into the second phase of the project, GDG2, that is expected to begin during 2017. Breeds that are entered into GDG2 will not be asked to make their £1,000 donation until 2017.
Next steps
We will now begin a dialogue with each Breed regarding the choice of dog for sequencing. We will begin by asking breed health co-ordinators to provide information about their breed’s main health concerns. This will enable us to collate information from all the participating breeds and to decide if it will be more valuable to sequence a dog that is either affected with an inherited disorder of concern to the breed or an older, healthy dog, on a breed by breed basis. The final choice of dogs whose genomes are sequenced will be made by the Animal Health Trust and the identity of all dogs will be kept confidential.
What is Give a Dog a Genome?
Every genome we sequence is a permanent resource which will contribute towards our research for many years to come, to the benefit of all breeds – not just those we can sequence now.
By undertaking this colossal task - DNA is a string of A, C, G & Ts…if each was 1mm long the whole genome of each dog we sequence would stretch from Lands End to John O’Groats and back again! - we will enhance our understanding of which changes in DNA sequence have an effect on dog health and which changes are benign or neutral.
This information will have profound effects on our ability to identify mutations which cause inherited diseases in purebred dogs, and the rate at which we can develop new DNA tests as tools for breeders. Give a Dog a Genome will revolutionise canine genetics research and is therefore a hugely important project to the future of dog health.
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