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Apple genome sequence helpful to breeding of new apple varieties published

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June 9, 2017

A high quality genome sequence of apple is published in this week’s Nature Genetics by an international team of scientists, among which researchers of Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands. The publication of the sequence facilitates faster and more targeted breeding of new apple varieties with increased disease resistance, improved production traits, and better fruit quality. With this the results support a more sustainable production of apple fruit, both from an environmental and a financial perspective.

The genome sequence was assembled by an international consortium of research institutions from France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and South Africa. The high quality of the genome data, indicating over 42 thousand putative genes, is the result of the use of latest sequencing technologies, which generate long stretches of DNA sequences, a very specific apple variety, and the most informative genetic linkage map in apple developed in earlier research.

For this genome reconstruction the equipment of Shared Research Facilities was used (PacBio and Bionano) and WUR bioinformatics have conducted the initial assembly.

More details on this research in the press release.