Biotech Updates

Wageningen and KeyGene Collaborate for Potato Genome Map

April 17, 2009

Wageningen University and US-based company KeyGene announced that they have reached an agreement to construct a high-quality physical map of the potato genome. Wageningen UR's Plant Science Department will use KeyGene's Whole Genome Profiling technology to develop a potato genome physical map, an important tool to develop a superior genome sequence assembly for potato. Wageningen UR is the coordinator of the International Potato Genome Sequencing Consortium which aims to decipher the potato genome (850 Mbp) by the end of 2010.

"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," said Christian Bachem, project leader at Wageningen. "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."

View the press release at http://www.keygene.com/keygene/pdf/PR%20WUR.pdf