I’m with Ogden Nash who said:
I love the baby giant panda,
I’d welcome one to my veranda
This week, I learned via Keith that Chinese scientists announced the completion of the giant panda genome. An impressive achievement, given that the project was announced in March this year, but what exactly has been completed? Has the genome been sequenced – that is, there are strings of A, C, G and T covering most chromosomes, or mapped – that is, the approximate chromosomal location of most genes determined? The media seem unsure.
- The Australian: Scientists in China have mapped the genome of the giant panda…
- Window of China (the official source, it seems): Chinese scientists have completed sequencing the genome of giant pandas…
- The China Post: The Chinese-led genome-mapping effort…
- Melbourne Herald Sun: Genome sequencing confirms pandas are bears…but then “endangered giant pandas have had their genomes mapped…”
- Indian Express: Genome mapping to find out why Pandas are sex-shy…
- Discovery Channel: Scientists Map Giant Panda Genome…but then later on “by sequencing the genome, we have laid the genetic and biological foundation to gain a deeper understanding of this peculiar species”
And so on. Here’s a Google News search with more hits.
So what has been achieved – sequencing or mapping? If the former, is it really complete (I doubt this) or draft – and if draft, what kind of quality? And where are the data? Nothing in the genome project section of NCBI as yet.