Pufferfish genome sequenced

A consortium of research groups, along with biotechnology companiesCelera Genomics and Myriad Genetics, has sequenced the genome of the Japanese pufferfish, Fugu rubripes, using a computational algorithm known as JAZZ. The F rubripes genome contains essentially the same genes and regulatory sequences as the human genome but in far fewer base pairs and "junk" DNA, and researchers hope that the information gained from the pufferfish can be used to help identify equivalent elements in the human genome. The draft was due to be reported at the International Genome Sequencing and Analysis Conference in San Diego, USA, on October 26.