The International Oryza Map Alignment Project: Sequencing the collective Oryza genome to help solve the 9-billion people question

The International Oryza Map Alignment Project Consortia was organized to generate reference genome sequences (not re-sequences) for each of the 23 species of Oryza. BAC-based physical maps have already been generated for 18 Oryza species which provide long range scaffolding properties not yet available for pure next gene short-read assemblies, especially in regions with high repeat content. Data will presented that will summarize the current state of genome assemblies across the Oryza, with special emphasis on “black rice” - the other cultivated species of Oryza: Oryza glaberrima.