In the news

The International Mouse Genome Sequencing Consortium has announced that 96% of the mouse genome has been sequenced and the information deposited in publicly available databases. This level of completion is higher than that so far achieved for the human genome, for which a draft sequence was published in 2001. The mouse is an important animal model for human development and disease, and it is hoped that the availability of its complete genome sequence will aid attempts to identify the functions of human genes, many of which are shared with the mouse. Like humans, the mouse is predicted to have around 30,000 genes. The next phase of the mouse genome project will involve producing an accurate, finished sequence in which gaps are filled in and errors resolved; this work is expected to take about three years.