Plant & Animal Genomes XVII Conference

January 10-14, 2009
Town & Country Convention Center
San Diego, CA

Genome Sequencing Project Of Brachypodium distachyon

Jeremy Schmutz^1,5 , Michael Bevan² , John Vogel³ , David Garvin⁴ , Dan Rokhsar⁵

¹  HudsonAlpha Genome Sequencing Center, 601 Genome Way, Huntsville, AL 35806

²  John Innes Centre, Norwich NR47UJ, UK

³  USDA-ARS, Western Regional Research Center Genomics and Gene Discovery Research Unit 800 Buchanan Street, Albany, CA 94710, USA

⁴  USDA-ARS Plant Science Research Unit, St Paul, MN 55108, USA

⁵  Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA

Brachypodium distachyon was chosen for sequencing through the Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute’s Community Sequencing Program because of its potential importance as a simple experimental model for BioEnergy feedstock plants such as switchgrass and wheat. We have employed a whole genome shotgun (WGS) sequencing approach utilizing three sized subclone libraries in addition to BAC-end sequence (BES) from four available BAC libraries. We have now completed 8x sequence coverage and will have completed the initial draft assembly of Brachypodium by the end of 2008. This final draft release of Brachypodium will be integrated with the genetic and physical mapping efforts to produce a chromosome scale genomic assembly organized into five chromosomes. We will report on the completion of the sequencing and assembly phases of the genome project and on the quality of the final chromosome scale draft assembly.