Sex linked DNA region found in salmon lice

In a research paper published in the journal PLOS ONE Stephen Carmichael and other researchers from MERL (Marine Environmental Research Laboratory) have found a needle in a haystack, picking out a single letter in the genetic code that differs consistently between male and female lice.

 Equivalent to discovering and being able to follow the male-only Y chromosome in humans, this could now allow teams in the Institute to uncover the sex determination mechanism, which will be a potential target for disruptive medicines.