Chick embryos provide valuable genetic data for understanding human development

An international collaboration of researchers from Japan, Russia, Spain, and Australia has created the first genome-wide set of avian transcription start sites. Their data have been made available through the web-based, open-access, interactive DNA visualization system. The database and their CAGE-based TSS mapping method are expected to greatly facilitate research on the early development of amniotes, a group of vertebrate animals including the mammals, birds and reptiles.