Scientists Complete Bread Wheat Genome Sequence

The International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC) reported that the whole genome assembly of bread wheat, the most widely grown cereal globally, has been completed. The project consisted of producing a whole genome assembly of the bread wheat variety Chinese Spring based on Illumina short sequence reads assembled with NRGene's DeNovoMAGIC software. It is expected that with this new data available, global research on crop improvement will be accelerated.

The information on the whole genome assembly will be combined with physical-map based sequence data to produce a high-quality, ordered sequence for each wheat chromosome that precisely locates genes, regulatory elements, and markers along the chromosomes, providing vital tools for wheat breeders.

"This new wheat genome sequence generated by the IWGSC and its partners is an important contribution to understanding the genetic blueprint of one of the world's most important crops," said Curtis Pozniak, one of the researchers working on the project. "It will provide wheat researchers with an exciting new resource to identify the most influential genes important to wheat adaptation, stress response, pest resistance, and improved yield."

Read the original article from IWGSC.