From crop improvement to breeding healthier livestock to modeling human disease, scientists are using PacBio Sequencing to advance understanding of plant and animal genomes. In this article, we look at four examples of plant and animal genome references improved or made possible with SMRT Sequencing, including an early example of transcriptome sequencing of a chicken for improved annotation. These examples highlight insights gained with SMRT Sequencing that are missed with short-read data, such as complex regions or novel genes.
Scientists are utilizing long-read PacBio sequencing to provide uniquely comprehensive views of complex plant and animal genomes. These efforts are uncovering novel biological mechanisms, enabling progress in crop development, and much more. To date, scientists have published over 1000 papers with Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT) Sequencing, many covering breakthroughs in the plant and animal sciences. In this case study, we look at examples in model organisms Drosophila and C. elegans and non-model organisms coffee, Oropeitum, danshen, and sugarbeet, where SMRT Sequencing has contributed to a more accurate understanding of biology. These efforts underscore the broad applicability of long-read sequencing in…
At the University of Arizona, a leading genomics research facility benefits from decades of BAC- based sequencing expertise, original studies of crop genomes, and a unique emphasis on high molecular weight DNA.
Scientists at the USDA and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory know that better breeding of maize to feed a growing population will depend on an accurate reference assembly. They tackled the previously intractable crop with a combination of PacBio Sequencing and BioNano Genomics® genome maps, leading to the first-ever high-quality reference assembly.
The Targeted Locus Amplification (TLA) Technology from Cergentis enables the targeted, hypothesis-neutral, amplification of any genomic locus of interest over 50 kb using just one primer pair complementary to a short locus-specific sequence. TLA is a strategy to selectively amplify complete loci on the basis of crosslinking physically proximal sequences. Unlike other targeted sequencing methods, TLA works without prior detailed locus information, as one primer pair is sufficient to amplify tens to hundreds of kilobases of DNA surrounding that locus. In a separate application of TLA, the unamplified template can be used for genome-wide phasing and assembly. TLA enables targeted…
At the University of Maryland’s Genomics Resource Center, SMRT Sequencing has become an integral tool for generating complete microbial genomes, improving plant and animal genome assemblies, and exploring human genome variation.
At the National Center for Genome Resources in Santa Fe, New Mexico, scientists run a world- renowned sequencing service facility that’s heavy on long reads and bioinformatics expertise. It also supports a wide range of microbial, plant, and animal projects.
Scientists in Brazil paired PacBio long-read sequencing with Dovetail Genomics chromatin proximity ligation to generate a highly contiguous genome assembly for the cashew tree. With this resource, they are on their way to improving breeding programs to protect the plant from disease and boost yield.
At the University of California, Davis, Dario Cantu is applying long-read PacBio sequencing to the heterozygous genome of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Now, his team has access to whole genome data that could help guard against the effects of climate change and disease.
Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT®) Sequencing combines long reads with uniform coverage to provide uniquely comprehensive views of plant and animal genomes and transcriptomes. High-quality genome assemblies and evidence-based annotations promote improved genetic marker development, discovery of novel genes, and structural variation characterization.
At DuPont Pioneer, DNA sequencing is paramount for R&D to reveal the genetic basis for traits of interest in commercial crops such as maize, soybean, sorghum, sunflower, alfalfa, canola, wheat, rice, and others. They cannot afford to wait the years it has historically taken for high-quality reference genomes to be produced. Nor can they rely on a single reference to represent the genetic diversity in its germplasm.