Poultry genomics puts meat on the table

Abstract

If the faithful had any concerns that their 'model' has not added a lot of value to the information being mined from the human genome, it was not evident at the meeting's end. Rather, I sensed hope and optimism and a clear plan as to what should come next. On the 'to do' list are completion of the genome sequence (in particular the sex chromosomes), creation of a chick atlas of development and a MOD, as well as other subjects. The plan is to hold a CSHL meeting every 2 years (keep an eye on the AvianNet www site for news: www.chicken-genome.org or CSHL: http://meetings.cshl.edu/meetings/chick05.shtml for the next meeting on 7-10 May 2006) to focus on Genome Biology, and to alternate this with a meeting at another location outside of the USA to focus on the Biology of Birds. Claudio Stern (c.sternυcl.ac.uk) will host such a meeting in 2007 in Barcelona, Spain, with a major focus on Development, the Immune System and Evolutionary Biology. Dave Burt also suggested that we will search for support of graduate students and post-docs to participate in future meetings (so any sponsors interested let him know). Even as concerns remain about losing genetic stocks that helped the poultry genetics community make significant contributions to vertebrate biology, participants felt that there was strong interest in the continued use of the chicken in comparative biology. It was clear that the draft of the chicken sequence is definitely just 'the end of the beginning', if that.