Conifers represent an ancient and diverse branch in higher plant evolution. Some conifer species dominate modern-day ecosystems that are repositories for large amounts of terrestrial sequestered carbon, while others exist in populations numbering tens of individuals. Conifer forests are among the most productive in terms of annual lignocellulosic biomass generation, and coniferous trees are the…
Why Sequence Phaeocystis globosa?
Photosynthetic marine microalgae, particularly the relatively few species that form massive blooms, are responsible for half of total global carbon fixation, on the order of 45-50 billion tons of production annually. The chlorophyll c-containing haptophyte alga genus Phaeocystis is distributed globally and forms massive blooms that structure planktonic ecosystems, export significant amounts of materials to…
Why Sequence Phaeocystis antarctica?
Phaeocystis is a group of important unicellular, photosynthetic, eukaryotic algae distributed throughout the world’s oceans. Representatives of this genus live in the open ocean as well as in sea ice. A unique attribute of Phaeocystis is its ability to form a floating colony with hundreds of cells embedded in a polysaccharide gel matrix that can…
Why Sequence Paxillus involutus?
More than 75% of the carbon in terrestrial ecosystems is stored in forests. More than half of this carbon is found in soil organic matter (SOM). Recent studies have indicated that ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi provide the dominant pathway through which carbon enters the SOM pool. The same fungi also drive the cycling of other nutrients…
Why Sequence a Liverwort?
The origin of land plants (embryophytes) was one of the major evolutionary events in the history of planet earth. Experimental, paleontological, morphological, and molecular systematic data all point to the liverworts as being some of the first plants to evolve and colonize the Ordovician landscape. Thus liverworts are a key group to include in any…
Why Sequence the Soybean Cyst Nematode?
Soybean is a major oil, feed, and export crop, with $17 billion annually in unprocessed crop value in the U.S. alone. Soy biodiesel is a leading contender for a renewable, alternative vehicle fuel with a high energy density. Soybean has the environmental and energy advantage of not requiring the use of nitrogen fertilizer. Soybean is…
Why Sequence Agaricus bisporus?
Agaricus bisporus is a soil-growing homobasidiomycete fungus that plays an ecologically significant role in the degradation of leaf and needle litter in temperate forests. Soils contain humic compounds derived from modified lignin and other recalcitrant aromatic compounds, and represent a different catabolic challenge from the intact woody tissues colonized by many other fungi. Thus, A….
Why Sequence Porphyra umbilicalis?
Porphyra species are among the most common algae in the intertidal and subtidal zones of temperate rocky shores in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Porphyra umbilicalis is a marine red alga. The red algae occupy a pivotal position in eukaryotic evolution as a sister group to green algae/plants. Porphyra species are particularly notable for…
Why Sequence Foxtail Millet?
Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) is a diploid grass with a relatively small genome (~515 Mb). It is an important grain crop in temperate, subtropical, and tropical Asia and in parts of southern Europe, and is grown for forage in North America, South America, Australia, and North Africa. The genetic map of foxtail millet is highly…
Why Sequence the Eucalyptus Tree?
A major challenge for the achievement of a sustainable energy future is our understanding of the molecular basis of superior growth and adaptation in woody plants suitable for biomass production. Eucalyptus species are among the fastest growing woody plants in the world, with mean annual increments up to 100 cubic meter per hectare. Eucalyptus is…