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Why Sequence Hansenula polymorpha?

Hansenula polymorpha strain NCYC 495 leu1.1 is a yeast capable of fermenting xylose, cellobiose, and glucose to ethanol at high temperatures (45 – 50° C). This particular strain ferments xylose much more efficiently than other strains of H. polymorpha. Hence, it is a promising strain for the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process, which combines… [Read More]

Why Sequence Loblolly Pine BACs?

Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) is an organism of tremendous economic and ecological importance and a key representative of the conifers, an ancient lineage of plants that dominates many of the world’s temperate and boreal ecosystems. Loblolly pine’s fast growth, amenability to intensive tree farming, and high-quality lumber/pulp have made it the cornerstone of the… [Read More]

Why Sequence the Simplest Cotton Genome?

Cotton is one of the world’s most important crops, and it sustains one of the world’s largest industries (textiles). The value of cotton fiber and byproducts grown in the USA is typically about $6-7 billion/yr. More than 440,000 domestic jobs are related to cotton processing, with an aggregate influence of ~$120 billion/yr on the US… [Read More]

Why Sequence Zostera marina (seagrass)?

Seagrasses cover nearly 80,000 square miles of shallow and subtidal coastlines such as bays and estuaries around the world. They help prevent erosion by cushioning the force of the waves and currents hitting the shoreline. They also act as carbon sinks for as much as 15 percent of the total surplus carbon fixed in the… [Read More]

Why Sequence the Greater Duckweed?

The Lemnaceae, commonly known as duckweeds, are the smallest, fastest growing and simplest of flowering plants. Some of the current uses of Lemnaceae are a testimony to its utility: basic research and evolutionary model system, toxicity testing organism, biotech protein factory, wastewater remediator, high-protein animal feed, and carbon cycling participant. Sequencing of the Greater Duckweed,… [Read More]

Why Sequence Chlamydomonas and Volvox transcriptomes?

Chlamydomonas is a single-celled green alga while its close kin Volvox is a multicellular green alga. Both algae are well-studied models and have been sequenced before (see “Why Sequence the Mating Loci of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Volvox carteri?”) using Sanger or shotgun sequencing. Researchers hope to get more information from the genomes by re-sequencing the… [Read More]

Why Sequence Botryococcus braunii?

Botryococcus braunii is a colony-forming green microalga of the species Chlorophyceae. It is found in many environments across the globe and has been noted to be capable of growing in both freshwater and brackish environments. During the growth cycle of this organism, the algae synthesize long-chain liquid hydrocarbon compounds and sequester them in the extracellular… [Read More]

Why Sequence Dendroctonus frontalis?

The Southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis, is a destructive pest that can convert forests of pine trees from carbon sinks to potential carbon sources as dead trees increase the risk of forest fires. A 2008 outbreak was estimated to have destroyed half a million acres of pine trees in the southern United States. Climate change… [Read More]

Why Sequence Thalassiosira rotula?

Diatoms are responsible for significant amounts of marine primary production. In response to favorable light and nutrient conditions, diatoms rapidly divide and form large blooms. As blooms propagate, nutrients are depleted, growth ceases, and cells sink to the deep ocean. The sinking diatom blooms fuel the biological carbon pump and export carbon from the atmosphere… [Read More]

Why Sequence Paralvinella sulfincola ESTs?

Paralvinella sulfincola is a polychaete worm indigenous to hydrothermal vents, and may be the most thermotolerant animal on Earth. In recent years, with the onset of increasing atmospheric temperatures, there has been a renewed interest in organismal thermotolerance. Indeed, one of the driving ecological questions today concerns biological response to environmental stressors such as temperature…. [Read More]