Wageningen, The Netherlands
April 15, 2009
The Plant Sciences department of
Wageningen UR will apply
KeyGene’s ‘Whole Genome
Profiling’
technology to construct a high quality physical map of potato.
The physical map is a powerful tool for
Wageningen UR to develop a superior genome sequence assembly for
potato together with the Potato
Genome Sequencing Consortium.
The Whole Genome Profiling (WGP) technology delivers an
excellent framework for the assembly of
entire genomes. Because the technology is sequence-based, the
WGP framework can be used to establish
a high quality genome sequence.
Potato is the fourth most important food crop in the world with
a current annual global production of 300
million tones of which 80% is grown in Asia and Europe.
Wageningen UR is the coordinator of the
international Potato Genome Sequencing Consortium. Its primary
objective is to elucidate the complete
DNA sequence of the potato genome (850 Mbp) by the end of 2010.
The project is coordinated by Prof.
Dr. Richard Visser, chair of Plant Breeding, at the dept. of
Plant Sciences, WUR. Application of the
newest technologies for sequencing and physical mapping is
crucial for reaching this goal. By sequencing
the complete potato genome, reaching the world's food future
needs will be a step closer.
Christian Bachem, project leader at Wageningen UR, “Especially
in a complex crop like potato the quality
of the physical map will determine the quality of the sequence
of the complete potato genome”. He adds:
“The collaboration with KeyGene will help us to reach our
objectives faster and deliver a high quality
genome sequence that will form the basis for future potato
research”.
Edwin van der Vossen – head of KeyGene’s Field Crop unit: “We
have demonstrated the performance and
value of Whole Genome Profiling in several vegetable crops with
genome sizes ranging from 450 – 2,600
Mbp. We are pleased that the long term collaboration between the
Wageningen UR Plant Sciences
department and KeyGene now allows us to apply our Whole Genome
Profiling technology to potato”.
Keygene N.V. is a R&D company with the mission to be the
leading company in developing and applying DNA expertise in the
field of molecular genetics with a focus on crop plants. In
recent years KeyGene invested in next generation sequencing
platforms to support its leading position in the field of plant
molecular breeding and developed new enabling technologies.
KeyGene exploits its proprietary technologies, databases and
know-how through strategic alliances, contract research and
products for applications in the plant breeding industry.
KeyGene has a subsidiary in Rockville Maryland, USA and a Joint
Lab at the Shanghai Institute of Biological Sciences in
Shanghai, China. In total KeyGene employs 130 researchers and
staff.
Wageningen University and Research Centre (Wageningen UR), is an
internationally leading education and research organization. Its
ambition is to contribute significantly to the quality of life
worldwide.
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