GTG to DNA-test 20,000 NZ sheep

Melbourne biotech Genetic Technologies (ASX:GTG) has signed its first contract with New Zealand agbiotech company Ovita in Dunedin for a pilot program to DNA-test up to 20,000 sheep.

GTG also announced today it has received formal approval from the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) to transfer DNA specimens from New Zealand to Australia for testing.

The company will process the Ovita sheep DNA samples at its AgGenomics high-throughput gene-testing laboratory at Latrobe University in Bundoora.

In its announcement to the Australian Stock Exchange today, GTG said the pilot project with Ovita could lead to much greater numbers of specimens being shipped from New Zealand for testing at its AgGenomics laboratory.

GTG is negotiating with other NZ organisations to provide testing services to improve the quality of human health care, and the productivity of the country’s livestock industries.

The company also announced the appointment of an Australian, Dr Tom Watson, to market its agricultural products and services in both Australia and NZ.

GTG outlined its business plans for New Zealand last December, when it announced that ViaLactia Biosciences, a subsidiary of dairying giant Fonterra was the first to sign up for its DNA-testing service, which exploits the company’s broad patents on the use of non-coding DNA sequences.

The technology allows livestock breeders to identify and track superior alleles of genes involved in important production traits.