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A team of international scientists has successfully completed the genome of koala which will provide researchers with new information to assist in the conservation and survival efforts of this marsupial Australia, according to a study published today Nature Genetics .
The work was directed by the Director of the Institute of the Australian Research Museum Rebecca Johnson, and expert Katherine Belov "The Koala Genome Consortium was an ambitious path which allowed us to understand the genetic components of the koala, one of the most iconic and most charismatic mammals of Australia, as well as "Johnson
This step stems from the vision of using the genome to conserve these species. The genetic project not only uncovered a wealth of data on the unusual and highly specialized diet of koalas eucalyptus but also provides important information about its immune system species diversity. The population and the evolution of these animals, he added.
The Australian-led consortium of scientists was trained by 54 experts from 29 institutions in seven countries and was able to sequence more than 20,000 genes from this animal, slightly larger than the human genome. With this work, scientists have unprecedented information on the biology of this anima I.
Johnson recalled that the population of koalas has declined significantly in northern Australia, but increased in southern areas, especially in Victoria and South Australia
Scientists from this consortium worked on the koala genetic sequence since 1945 and performed it with a precision of 95 , 1%, says the British magazine.
Photo: Rebecca Johnson / Australian Museum
Scientists could sequence 3,400 million base pairs (a unit composed of two nucleobases linked together by hydrogen bonds) in Ramaciotti Genome Center at the University of New Sou Wales, using new technology
"Then we put the genome with supercomputers, allowing the consortium to study 20,000 genes of this unique species, "said director of this center, Marc Wilkins
. The composition of koala milk and the discovery of its proteins, important for the different stages of animal development, added the experts.
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