Comparative Medicine - OneHealth and Comparative Medicine Poster SessionThe pig is an important component of the world's food supply. As of December 1, 2009 the hog inventory in the United States of America was 65 million head. The United States is the world's third largest producer and second largest consumer, exporter, and importer of pork and pork products. Total farm income for hogs in 2008 has estimated to be 16.0billion.Notonlyarepigsimportanttoagricultureswinehavebecomeimportantinbiomedicalresearchastheyareexcellentmodelsforcardiovasculardisease,atherosclerosis,cutaneouspharmacology,woundrepair,cancer,diabetes,ophthalmology,toxicologyresearch,lipoproteinmetabolism,pathobiologyofintestinaltransport,injuryandrepair,aswellasbeingconsideredpotentialsourcesoforgansforxenotransplantation.Furthermore,theswinegenomeisalsoquitesimilartothehuman,asaphylogeneticapproachusingswinegenomesequencedatashowsthattheswinegenomeis3xclosertothehumanthanisthemouse.ReviewersattheNIHconsiderswinetobeaveryimportantmodelforhumanhealthanddiseaseconditionsasevidencedbythefactthatforthepast6yearsextramuralsupportofresearchonswinehasaveragedover115 million per year (NIH Office of the Director). The NIH considers the swine to be so important that it has helped establish the National Swine Resource and Research Center at the University of Missouri to serve as a genetic resource for the biomedical community