Daphnia Pulex - More Genes Don't Make You Better But They May Help The Environment
Thursday, February 3, 2011 - 16:32
in Biology & Nature
Humans have about 23,000 genes and we are at the top of the food chain but the animal with the most genes is the near-microscopic freshwater crustacean Daphnia pulex, or water flea, clocking in around 31,000. Daphnia is the first crustacean to have its genome sequenced. The findings are part of a comprehensive report by members of the Daphnia Genomics Consortium, an international network of scientists led by the Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics (CGB) at Indiana University Bloomington and the U.S. Department of Energy's Joint Genome Institute. read more