Anon. wrote:
> There is a good chance that the
>honey bee will be chosen for an upcoming genome project.

        This idea holds v little if any promise for doing good to bees, and
may lead to harm.
        The sequence of bases in an organism's genome is of v unclear
significance and even less use.  The implication that deviations from some
assumed norm can be corrected and used against disease is poorly based and
has led to no actual improvement in any sp yet.
        Moreover, what the 'sequencers' such as J Celera Venter produce is
a simplified caricature of the sequence of bases _in vivo_.  The leader of
one such caper passed thru Auckland a couple y ago and gave a seminar.  He
said that what they sequence is copies made in systems which generated
polymers with just the 4 bases G, C, A & T.  They check back in the real
DNA only 1/10,000th of those results.  But it has been known for decades
that real DNA contains bases other than The Big Four.
        This sequencing business is largely if not wholly a waste of money
& talent.

        And of course, as I've previously pointed out, attempts to improve
the honey bee by genetic manipulation could cause harm.  Novel pathogens
are a real possibility.  Do bone up at www.psrast.org before you get swept
away by this fad which combines rotten science with dishonest business.

R