Extra Special Pets & Animals
Nov 25, 2009 6:50 pm US/Central
U Of M Researchers Get Grant To Study Turkey DNA
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
-
-
Researchers at the University of Minnesota are digging in to help improve the turkey.
CBS
Minnesota is the largest producer of turkeys nationwide. And it's hard to imagine that the traditional Thanksgiving bird could get any better.
But researchers at the University of Minnesota are digging in to help improve the turkey.
While the turkey already seems pretty darn perfect, imagine what could happen if you could drum up your drumstick, de-foul your foul. What could a designer turkey look like? Maybe bulkier legs for more dark meat and bigger breasts?
The folks at the U of M were not offering gobbler neck tucks, liposuction or breast enhancements, but they were determining the entire DNA sequence of the turkey.
The turkey bird experts at the university could be unlocking the keys to better flavor, bigger birds even infusing dark meat flavor in white meat. This was about more than just creating "super birds."
"Essentially make turkeys healthier so we can have less antibiotics in the system, just breeding better birds," said University of Minnesota Professor of Animal Genetics Kent Reed.
Already, researchers have found that wild turkeys have some immunities their domesticated brethren don't. By determining what gene is responsible for that could open the door to protecting domestic birds from certain toxins. The studies also focus on reproduction and what it takes for turkeys to produce more eggs.
"One of the things we work on is muscle development, and structure and that has to do with meat quality, taste for example. The more you know about the genome, the more you can do," Reed said.
The U of M researchers were also making comparisons between turkeys and other bird species.
The grant for the research came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Puppy Bowl VI 'Pawticipants'
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
