Date: Sunday, January 15, 2012
Time: 1:35 PM
Time: 1:35 PM
Room: Pacific Salon 4-5 (2nd Floor)
The emergence of next generation sequencing technologies has resulted in more affordable and rapid genome sequencing. Using 454/Roche technology, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) sequenced the genome of E. guineensis and E. oleifera palms. Additionally, from a 12x BAC library, a high information content physical map and BAC end sequences were produced. Genome assembly was enhanced by the inclusion of BAC end sequences. BAC fingerprint contigs were merged with sequence scaffolds and with an oil palm genetic map, to provide an integrated genome-wide sequence map of oil palm. The reference genomes were annotated with 454-based transcriptome sequences of more than 30 tissues. Obtaining high quality sequence assembly provides a valuable resource for further improvement of the oil palm using genomics-guided strategies. Genome tiling arrays, designed from the sequence, are being used by MPOB to explore the role of epigenetic control in somaclonal variation and abnormality observed in clonal palms.