Madison, Wisconsin
May 11, 2009
With the costs of genome
sequencing rapidly decreasing, and with the infrastructure now
developed for almost anyone with access to a computer to cheaply
store, access, and analyze sequence information, emphasis is
increasingly being placed on ways to apply genome data to real
world problems, including reducing dependency on fossil fuel.
For the efficient production of bioenergy, this may be
accomplished through development of improved feedstocks.
A recently published study examined the impact of very cheap
sequence data (approximately 1USD per genome) on improvement of
switchgrass, a perennial grass well suited to biomass
production. Results were published in the current issue of The
Plant Genome.
Acquiring the genetic component of natural variation is or will
soon become cheap enough that it will soon be able to be
incorporated through marker-assisted selection into almost all
breeding programs. With availability of cheap sequencing
capacity, neither complete sequence assembly nor gene annotation
is required to apply these techniques.
In a species such as switchgrass there exists a great deal of
phenotypic variation derived from latitudinal adaptation across
its natural range and local adaptation to soil, temperature, and
moisture conditions. It is still largely undomesticated and thus
large gains might be realized through fixation of beneficial
alleles in breeding populations. There are likely to be a few
genes with large effects that will dramatically impact yields
once incorporated into breeding programs. This has occurred
during the domestication of all our grain crops, but it may take
just a fraction of the time now.
The development of a dollar genome sequence could provide
information highways that would cut across several disciplines
and drive the development of next generation biomass feedstocks,
bioproducts, and processes for replacing fossil fuels. New
feedstocks could produce sustainable high yields with minimal
inputs in regions where competition with food is minimized, as
well as provide ancillary environmental benefits associated with
carbon sequestration and environmental remediation.
Another result of inexpensive sequencing would be an increased
use of comparative genomics. A comprehensive survey of genetic
diversity would help guide conservation efforts to preserve
germplasm diversity and allow reconstruction of past speciation
events at a more detailed level.
As a result of access to multiple related genomes, similarities
between closely related species would allow inference of missing
data. For example, if a draft switchgrass genome assembly does
not provide a complete assembly as judged by comparison to an
inbred genome or more closely related grass, it will be possible
to infer unresolved regions, including retrotransposon family
composition and composition of other abundant repetitive
elements. Comparative approaches would be applied to better
understand the molecular basis for differences between species
that result in higher or lower yields in different environments.
The full article is available for no charge for 30 days
following the date of this summary. View the abstract at
http://plantgenome.scijournals.org/content/2/1/5.full.
The Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), founded in 1955,
is an international scientific society comprised of 6,000+
members with its headquarters in Madison, WI. Members advance
the discipline of crop science by acquiring and disseminating
information about crop breeding and genetics; crop physiology;
crop ecology, management, and quality; seed physiology,
production, and technology; turfgrass science; forage and
grazinglands; genomics, molecular genetics, and biotechnology;
and biomedical and enhanced plants.
CSSA fosters the transfer of knowledge through an array of
programs and services, including publications, meetings, career
services, and science policy initiatives. For more information,
visit www.crops.org |
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