Tag Archives: genome
Swallows and Optical Maps For Ever!
Scott Edmunds - November 30, 2018
While they say one swallow doesn’t make a spring, one swallow genome makes a welcome contribution to the avian genome club. Taking advantage of the latest genomic and optical mapping technologies, a team of Scientists from the University of Milan, California State Polytechnic University and the University of Pavia, have carried out the high quality […]
Tegu: the most complete assembly of any reptile genome
Hans Zauner - November 28, 2018
Today in GigaScience we present the genome of the tegu lizard. It is the most complete assembly of any reptile genome so far and will also aid scientists to study other lizards and snakes. The tegu has mastered a trick that is highly unusual in the reptile world: it can turn on its own heating […]
Genomes mite surprise you
Hans Zauner - November 19, 2018
In GigaScience, Benjamin Makepiece and his co-authors from Liverpool present genome assemblies of two trombidid mite species, the itch-inducing chigger mite and its more benign cousin, the velvet mite. The bite of the chigger mite can transmit a life-threatening bacterial disease, scrub typhus. When the authors explored the gene content of the mites’ genomes, searching clues for […]
Toads and toxins: The genome of the invasive cane toad
Hans Zauner - September 24, 2018
The cane toad Rhinella marina is native to Central and South America. But thanks to humans and the sugar cane trade, the species now thrives also in Australia and other places where it doesn’t belong. The invasive species comes with an unpleasant surprise for native Australian predators, such as snakes or freshwater crocodiles: R. marina kills them with its […]
Of Mice and Men (and Monkey) Microbiomes.
Scott Edmunds - August 31, 2018
Monkey Microbiome Business Research just out in GigaScience introduces the macaque monkey to the microbial gene catalogue club, joining other important model organisms including the (also recently published in GigaScience) Rat, Mouse, Pig and Cow. To explain more, in this posting we give some insight into what this data shows, and how this growing library […]
Genome scale model of a superbug
Hans Zauner - March 30, 2018
A genome scale model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa published recently in GigaScience will help scientists to fight multi-drug-resistant superbugs. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the world’s most dangerous pathogens, causing life-threatening infections. It is increasingly resistant to all antibiotics. The antibiotic polymyxin is a weapon of last resort against the superbug, but P. aeruginosa is increasingly gaining […]
On the trail of the elusive Solenodon genome. Q&A with Taras Oleksyk
Scott Edmunds - March 19, 2018
Researchers have sequenced the venomous Solenodon, the last survivor of a branch of mammals that appeared at the time of the dinosaurs. Here we give some behind the scenes insight with some of the authors of this prize winning project, and include a Q&A with lead author Taras Oleksyk. Our latest paper presents a draft […]
The genome of a shape shifting butterfly
Hans Zauner - May 10, 2017
A high coverage, high quality genome sequence of the butterfly Bicyclus anynana is published today in GigaScience. B. anynana, the squinting bush brown, is a fascinating model species that can modify its morphology in response to environmental clues. The 475 Mb genome assembly, achieved by combining traditional Illumina and long read PacBio data, encodes 22,642 […]
Getting the Buzz on Bee Parasites. Author Q&A with Tatsuhiko Kadowaki
Scott Edmunds - February 24, 2017
The decline of global honeybee populations are a major environment concern, because of their vital role in our food systems and pollination of flowering plants. Twenty first century ‘Omics is coming to the rescue, and published in GigaScience this week is an article that presents the genome and proteome of a mahor threat to bee […]
Of big fish and small genomes. Ocean sunfish shines.
Scott Edmunds - September 12, 2016
The genome of the ocean sunfish (Mola mola), the world’s largest bony fish, has been just been published in GigaScience by researchers at A*STAR, Singapore, and China National Genebank. Here we talk to the researchers, including Nobel Laureate Sydney Brenner, on how the project came together, the slightly unusual sample collection, and how hope this work helps to provide insight into the fish’s extraordinary growth rate and unique body shape.