The CGC’s DNA sample collection is unique. Developed over the last quarter of a century, and comprising DNA samples from over 42,000 different dogs, it has been used to identify over 30 different mutations that cause inherited diseases in well over 40 different breeds. But beyond its historic use, the CGC’s sample collection is the foundation for all the CGC’s current research projects, including our investigations of inherited eye diseases, idiopathic epilepsy and intervertebral disc disease. Continue reading
A question that members of the Canine Genetics Centre (CGC) are sometimes asked is how we decide which diseases to investigate. The answer depends on a number of factors, the most important of which are DNA Samples, clinical expertise, breed community engagement, genetics expertise and funding. 
The CGC’s research database currently consists of 41,717 samples from 215 dog breeds collected since the early 1990s for the purpose of tackling inherited canine diseases. Roughly three quarters of sample contributions have come from UK-based donors, and the remaining quarter from 46 countries around the world. Alongside the data generated by the group over the years, our sample collection is a key resource that enables researchers to determine genetic variants responsible for heritable diseases in dogs. 
