Researchers decode DNA of pig

BEIJING, Nov. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- An international group of researchers has decoded the DNA of the domestic pig, a move that may help improve vaccines against diseases such as swine flu, media reported Monday.

Researchers announced the results of their work Monday at a meeting at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Hinxton, U.K., one of the organizations involved in the research.

Researchers plan to look for genes useful in pork production and immunity in pigs, which are similar in size to humans. And, like humans, they catch influenza very easily.

"Understanding the swine genome will lead to health advancements in the swine population and accelerate the development of vaccinations for pigs," said Roger Beachy, Director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Swine are often used in human research. "The pig is a unique animal that is important for food and that is used as an animal model for human disease," added Larry Schook of the University of Illinois in Champaign, who helped direct the project.

Dr. Richard Gibbs, a Baylor College of Medicine researcher who wasn't involved in the pig genome project, said a lot of work remains before a vaccine for the animals could be available.

"Immune machinery are the most difficult to decipher," he said. "But this is a big step in that direction."

The pandemic H1N1 swine flu virus originated in pigs and evidence suggests it can be passed from humans to pigs and back again. Pigs are also susceptible to many other strains of influenza.