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Sequencing of banana genome has started |
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Genoscope, the French National Sequencing Center, and CIRAD, the French agricultural research institute for development, have announced that a complete sequence of the banana genome should be available in 2 years.
October 2009
The announcement came after years of lobbying by the Global Musa Genomics Consortium, created in 2001 by Bioversity International. The chosen genome is a doubled haploid, so called because it has two identical copies of each chromosome, derived by CIRAD scientists from the wild species Musa acuminata present in most types of bananas. The high homozygosity of the sequenced genotype will simplify the assemblage of the sequence. In addition to the standard ‘shotgun’ method (also known as the Sanger method), the French scientists are using new high-throughput technologies: the 454 Titanium and Solexa sequencing technologies.
CIRAD will produce a genetic map to anchor the sequence and will participate to the manual annotation of the sequence, along with Bioversity International. The results will be deposited in public databases accessible from the Internet. The insights gained from the sequencing are expected to contribute to the development of more sustainable production methods and a reduction in pesticide use.
The total cost is estimated at 3.7 million euros, half of which will be covered by the French National Research Agency and the other half by Genoscope and CIRAD. Genoscope was created in 1996 to ensure French participation in the Human Genome Project. In 2007 it was integrated as an institute of the French Atomic Energy Commission. It has since participated in the sequencing of nearly 100 organisms, most recently the grape, Vitis vinifera.
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