Genome sequencing and the food on your plate.

Genome sequencing can be used to examine phenotypic traits associated with animals which are consumed for food, as illustrated by Kong et al’s. (2018) study of muscle color, which is thought to be related to the quality of meat, in broiler chickens. Therefore, genome sequencing can have an impact on what we decide to put our plates. Kong et al. (2018) used the previously sequenced Red Jungle Fowl genome as a reference to compare the genomes of broiler chickens with low and high muscle colour variations, and a control, and found that SNPs in regions of the DNA related to maintaining the DNA within the chromosomes, different types of collagen fibres, as well as various proteins may affect the exhibited muscle color (Kong et al. 2018). However, it is suggested by Kong et al. (2018) that further study of the genome is needed to fully investigate the effect of SNPs across the broiler chicken genome in relation to muscle color. Overall, genome sequencing can have nutritional and potentially economic implications for the human population (Kong et al. 2018).

Click here for the link to the article.

Kong, H.R., Anthony, N.B., Rowland, K.C., Khatri, B., and Kong, B.C., 2018. Genome re-sequencing to identify single nucleotide polymorphism markers for muscle color traits in broiler chickens. Asian-Australas. J. Anim. Sci. 31: 13-18.

Image from https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/farm/meatchickens

Accessed 01/29/18

Victoria Lockwood