Wild Horse Genome

Two MSI users, Nicole Flack and Lauren Hughes, researchers in the College of Veterinary Medicine who are in the group of MSI PI Chris Faulk (associate professor, Animal Science), sequenced the genome of the last remaining wild horse species. The Przewalski’s horse is an ancient breed that is highly endangered. Breeding efforts throughout the world have allowed horses to be released into the wild, where they now number 2,000. The sample used by the U of M researchers came from a mare at the Minnesota Zoo, which has participated in the breeding program for decades. The results of the study were published in the journal G3.

A story about this research appears on the U of M News site: U of M maps genome of the last living wild horse species. The paper can be found on the journal website: The genome of Przewalski’s horse (Equus ferus przewalskii). 

Professor Faulk uses MSI for comparative genomics research in animal science.