As temperatures rise around the world, species need to adapt to the changing ecosystem in order to thrive. In 2008, drought and high temperatures cost $2 billion in agricultural losses to California, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. Finding ways in which plants can adapt and thrive in higher temperature regions would help…
Why sequence Phytophthora cinnamomi?
Considered one of the world’s most invasive species, Phytopthora cinnamomi is found around the world and lives in the soil and plant tissues. A root-infecting pathogen, it thrives in a wide range of hosts and can attack more than 4,000 plant species. In the United States, the phytopathogen’s first known attack more than 200 years…
Why sequence Ceratodon purpureus (moss)?
Commonly known as fire moss, Ceratodon purpureus has been used as a model system to discover novel genes because it can tolerate induced mutations. The fire moss also thrives in a variety of habitats from urban environments to metal contaminated soils such as near mining operations. Part of its adaptability to such diverse ecosystems comes…
Why sequence cellulose degrading fungus Amanita thiersii?
Amanita thiersii is a white, sticky mushroom that obtains its carbon by decomposing grasses, playing a role in the terrestrial carbon cycle. The fungus is commonly found in grasslands throughout the central United States and grows in grassy areas away from trees, often seen on lawns after the rain. By sequencing A. thiersii’s genome, researchers…
Why sequence Dekkera (Brettanomyces) bruxellensis?
Wine and beer makers know Brettanomyces custersii as the invasive yeast that contaminates the fermentation process, ruining entire batches of the alcohol and leaving a distinctive odor of taint. Scientists know the yeast by another name, Dekkera bruxellensis, and are interested in sequencing the genome because the biofuel production process, like making wine or beer,…
Why sequence sorghum?
An African grass that is more drought-tolerant than crops such as corn and wheat, sorghum is a staple grain for 500 million people worldwide. In the United States however, sorghum is grown and used primarily as for animal feed. Using the whole genome shotgun approach, sorghum was the second grass genome to be sequenced after…
Why sequence Ostreococcus tauri?
A tiny green alga with minimal cell structure found at the top of the water column where plants live, Ostreococcus tauri is one of the picoeukaryotes that make up a fraction of the oceanic biomass but are significant contributors to global photosynthetic activity. A key part of the base of the ocean food web, Ostreococcus…
Why sequence Pisolithus tinctorius and Pisolithus microcarpus?
The term Pisolithus is derived from Greek, where piso means pea-shaped and lithos means stone. The fungal species under this category get their name from the pea-shaped spore capsules that break down to disperse spores, and thrive in temperate regions as well as in less-than-ideal conditions such as high levels of heavy metals, highly acidic…
Why sequence Cronartium quercuum f.sp. fusiforme?
Forests are major carbon sink in terrestrial ecosystems and are significant source of biomass for producing cellulosic biofuels. Loblolly and slash pines are the cornerstones of the US forest products industry, especially in the southeastern United States where nearly two billion loblolly pines and 200 million slash pine seedlings are planted annually in an area…
Why sequence Botryococcus braunii?
As single-cell organisms with short growth cycles and high energy content, algae are being considered as potential sources of biofuel. Some algal strains can be composed of as lipids and components that are also found in vegetable oils, which means they can be used to produce gasoline and biodiesel for vehicles with a lower carbon…