Making pigs less ‘piggy’

Abstract

William Muir and other Purdue University researchers aim to increase hog production by a unique route – identifying the genes responsible for aggression in pigs. Within groups, aggressive pigs grow better at the expense of less aggressive pigs and overall group productivity. Thus, groups of less-aggressive pigs should grow faster. Muir, who previously found a genetic basis for aggression in chickens, suspects pig aggression will also have a genetic component. He hopes to identify such genes using marker-assisted selection. The stakes are high; even a 20% increase in productivity will result in farmers receiving an additional $2 billion per year. And that's a lot of bacon! (http://news.uns.purdue.edu/html4ever/010119.Muir.hoggenome.html) NJ