Post date: Nov 16, 2014 3:28:5 PM
Dr. Cathryn Mellersh, Head of Genetics at the Animal Health Trust, has recently started collaborating with a team of scientists at Queen Mary University on an exciting epigenetic project. The collaborators are comparing non-inherited changes to the DNA between a short-lived breed (the Flatcoated Retriever) and a long-lived breed (the Dachshund).
DNA samples from 36 Dachshunds that the AHT already had DNA from, that were a mixture of young, middle-aged and old dogs, were sent for the initial investigation. However, they were a mixture of varieties and sexes, and the research team has asked for additional samples, with dogs split more evenly between males and females, and ideally of a single variety only, to exclude the possibility that any changes they find are variety-specific.
Despite having DNA from hundreds of Dachshunds at the AHT, they don’t have enough cheek swab samples to provide the amount of DNA needed from 6 male and female young, middle-aged and old dachshunds of a single variety. Because they also need some DNA extracted from blood and the AHT do have some Mini Long blood samples, they think it would be best to focus on Mini Longs.
So, this is plea for DNA from up to:
1. 12 mini longs, 6 males and 6 females, that are less than 1.5 years old
2. 12 mini longs, 6 males and 6 females, that are between 8 and 9 years old
3. 12 mini longs, 6 males and 6 females, that are over 13 years old
Do you have a Mini Long that meets any of the above criteria? If so, would you prepared to provide a cheek swab to support this research? Although this research won't be of immediate benefit to Dachshunds, it’s more of a ‘pushing back the frontiers of knowledge’ sort of project, we would like to support the AHT if we can.
Please contact Cathryn Mellersh directly if you would like to help with this project. E-mail: