A Reference Genome for Loudetia simplex

A New Reference Genome

My research on using Loudetia simplex as a model system for understand the extent of grassy biomes through time was awarded funding from the NERC Environmental Omics Facility (NEOF) pilot grant competition. “Population Dynamics of Polyploids: Testing the Mechanisms of Grassland Expansions in Madagascar” (NEOF1435) will fund the sequencing and assembly of a reference genome used for downstream population genomic applications.

Since all Malagasy populations are likely hexaploid, I am screening South African populations to identify a diploid reference. We anticipate an initial assembly of the PacBio HiFi contigs to be available towards the end of 2022. I will look towards generating some Hi-C libraries and sequencing to get scaffolds to the near-chromosome level for functional genomic investigations in 2023. The Loudetia simplex genome will further our understanding of fire-resistance traits in grasses and comparative genomics of panicoid grasses.