Iceland hosts Workshop to Develop the International Cod Genomics Consortium

摘要

Notwithstanding recent setbacks in the development of commercial Atlantic cod culture, there is little doubt that economic conditions in the industry will improve, and the species will become extremely important, as it was when wild stocks were abundant. It is no secret then that scientists are preparing for the day when important questions regarding cod culture will need to be answered. At a recent workshop held here in May, scientists from Iceland, Norway and Canada met to discuss what cod researchis being conducted in each country and by whom, and what programs would benefit from international collaboration. Of central interest is sequencing the entire genome — mapping all the genetic material that codfish posess. This would be a significant undertaking, so the primary questions is what information, data, resources and material could be shared? How can such collaborative work be funded, and who will lead and provide direction?