The Poultry Genetics Resource Unit maintains a collection of chicken mutants
asssembeled over the past eighty years. Our origins can be traced back
to the Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station and the research of L.C.
Dunn and Walter Landauer. The early research interests of the two scientists
are reflected in our holdings; much of our collection consists of mutations
affecting cartilage and bone, with the majority expressed during limb development.
In addition to our mission of being the curators of this special collection,
our long term goals include a desire to increase our understanding of the
chicken as a biological system and to support continued development of
the chicken as a model system for biomedical research.
We also support the efforts of the Avian Genetics Task Force; a national
group dedicated to addressing "the current crisis in the maintenance of
genetic stocks of poultry". Increasingly, the existence of key mutant and
special genetic stocks used for many years as animal models in biomedical
and agricultural research is being threatened as a result of reduced funding.
We welcome feedback and inquiries from all interested parties. Please
feel free to contact us.
Dr. Louis J. Pierro
Karen More'
Professor Emeritus
Research Assistant
Poultry Genetics Resource Unit
Poultry Genetics Resource Unit
Agricultural Biotechnology Laboratory
ABL
Unit 4163
Unit 4163
University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
phone: 860-486-0334
phone: 860-486-2427
email: Louis.Pierro@uconn.edu
email: Karen.More@uconn.edu