La Jolla, California and Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia
May 20, 2009
- Partners analyze Jatropha
genome and associated microbial genomes to understand and
improve plant yield and health to develop renewable fuels,
biofertilizers, and disease control solutions
- Jatropha genome represents second mMilestone accomplishment
for partners who announced complete oil palm genome sequence in
2008
Synthetic Genomics
Inc. (SGI), a privately held company applying genomic-driven
commercial solutions to address global issues, and
Asiatic Centre for Genome
Technology (ACGT), a company focused on the commercial
application of genome technology to improve oil palm and other
crops, today announced completion of a first draft, 10X assembly
of the jatropha genome. The completed jatropha genome represents
another significant milestone in the ongoing joint venture
between ACGT and SGI announced in 2007. The partners previously
announced completion of the oil palm genome in 2008. ACGT is a
wholly owned subsidiary of Asiatic Development Berhad, an oil
palm plantation company and a member of the Genting Group.
ACGT and SGI have focused on Jatropha for several reasons: it is
a tropical tree that is one of the highest yielding oilseed
plants in the world; it can be grown on marginal, non-food
producing lands; has a very short generation time; can be
productive for 30 to 40 years; and its seed oil and biomass are
ideal for biofuel production. Jatropha is a non-domesticated
plant which makes it an ideal subject for genetically engineered
improvements.
The sequencing of the genome, using both traditional Sanger
sequencing and next generation sequencing, has revealed that the
jatropha genome is approximately 400 million base pairs in size,
similar to the size of the rice genome. The teams are now
working on annotating the genome to identify particular genes of
interest and to discover genetic variations for use in marker
assisted breeding. The teams are also applying traditional
breeding tools, as well as modern plant molecular biology tools,
to improve plant yield, oil quality, fertilizer requirements and
to enhance stress and disease tolerance.
ACGT and SGI have also been exploring the microbial life around
the jatropha tree using environmental genomic techniques to
sequence and analyze jatropha's root, soil and leaf bacterial
and fungal communities. By understanding these environments SGI
and ACGT will be able to develop diagnostic tests for plant
diseases and agents for disease control, leading to healthier
and more productive crops. These genomic solutions also allow
for more efficient land usage with improved stewardship of the
plantation environment.
"Having the sequenced genome of jatropha will enable us to
develop new, sustainable energy feedstocks that grow on marginal
land or in more arid climates and that do not compete with
agriculture for food production," said J. Craig Venter, Ph.D.,
founder and CEO of SGI. "SGI and ACGT will be hard at work on
the next steps to use our methods to improve these oilseed crops
so that we have higher yielding plants for biofuels, microbial
fertilizers, and biologically-based disease control methods."
"The completion of the jatropha genome is yet another
significant milestone for ACGT and SGI. It will accelerate our
goal of commercially cultivating high-yielding jatropha for
biodiesel production," said Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, Chief
Executive of Asiatic Development Berhad.
Asiatic Development Berhad ("Asiatic"), a 55%-owned
subsidiary of Genting Berhad, commenced its operations in 1980
as the plantation arm of the Genting Group. Over the years, the
Asiatic Group had embarked on several significant acquisitions
in Malaysia, thus increasing its land bank from a mere 13,700
hectares in 1980 to nearly 66,000 hectares currently in line
with its long term strategy, the Asiatic Group had, in June
2005, further expanded its operations to Indonesia, on a joint
venture basis, to develop some 98,300 hectares. The Asiatic
Group also owns 5 oil mills with a total milling capacity of 235
tonnes per hour and is reputed to be one of the lowest cost palm
oil producers with fresh fruits bunches production of over one
million tonnes. Asiatic is one of the early members of the
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
SGI, a privately held company founded in 2005, is dedicated to
developing and commercializing genomic-driven solutions to
address global energy and environment challenges. Advances in
synthetic genomics present limitless applications in a variety
of product areas including: energy, chemicals and
pharmaceuticals. The company's main research and business
programs are focused on major bioenergy areas: designing
advanced biofuels with superior properties compared to ethanol
and biodiesel; harnessing photosynthetic organisms to produce
value added products directly from sunlight and carbon dioxide;
developing new biological solutions to increase production
and/or recovery rates of subsurface hydrocarbons and developing
high-yielding, more disease resistant and economic feedstocks.
For more information, go to
www.syntheticgenomics.com. |
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