May 04, 2016
The two earlier versions of the alpaca reference genome have been made from the DNA of one alpaca, Carlotta. Even though Carlotta died in 2013, we stored samples of her cells and DNA, so Carlotta's DNA will also be used in this experiment to create a high quality reference genome.
Jenny, Genome, and 2 others like this.
Alpacas originated in South America and they have many characteristics and uses: from providing fiber for clothes, to helping us understand adaptation to high altitude. Alpacas come in a huge range of colors, more than any other livestock species. But we don’t understand how the colors are inherited. If we had a better genome, we could find the genes that control color, and develop a test to predict what colors an alpaca will produce. This genome will be available for everyone as a resource.
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