Our IVDD research is underway at the AHT

Our IVDD DNA research project is underway at last. Researchers at the Animal Health Trust (AHT) are first of all investigating the region on chromosome 12 that the Danish group has previously demonstrated to be associated with disc calcification. They will then move on to investigate the whole genome if that seems appropriate, depending on the findings from the chromosome 12 study. The team is in the process of selecting markers (variable points in the DNA) from chromosome 12 that they can use to distinguish between different Dachshund chromosomes. This is an in silico exercise at this stage, involving searching sequence databases for markers that are in the right place and that are likely to be variable (and therefore useful) in the Dachshund.

The plan is to move the project from the computer and into the lab by the end of August and have the first preliminary results by the end of September.

We'll report more news as soon as it's available.