Cytogenetics in Plant Breeding: Conservation and Evolution in the Post-Genomics Era

This seminar features the PGC hosted Balik Scientist Dr. Nomar Waminal who will be presenting his talk on “Cytogenetics in Plant Breeding: Conservation and Evolution in the Post-Genomics Era”. Dr. Waminal is currently serving as a Research Professor under the Chromosome Research Institute at Sahmyook University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. He was a Samsung Global Scholar and received his Ph.D. in Crop Science and Biotechnology from Seoul National University.

Plant cytogenomics in the post-genomics era

The release of the first human reference genome in 2003 marked the beginning of the post-genomics era when genetics progressed beyond gene-centered analyses to a myriad of omics approaches. Genome sequencing technologies have advanced dramatically from Sanger, second/next-generation, to third-generation sequencing platforms. Also, genome assembly methods and tools have evolved contemporaneously, resulting in a dramatic drop in genome assembly cost. Consequently, more than 360 plant species’ genomes have been assembled ever since the first plant genome, Arabidopsis thaliana, was published in 2000.

“Oh, my Genes”: Lessons from Plant Genetics and Genomics for Trait Improvement

In recent years, genetics and genomics has played an important role in facilitating the genetic improvement of plants. Different tools have been developed to examine the structure, function, and properties of genes controlling complex traits. The genetic diversity of germplasm found in existing gene banks through different breeding populations such as core collections, nested association mapping panels, mutants, recombinant inbred lines, and multiparent advance generation intercross populations in germplasm banks served as sources of desirable alleles for plant breeding.

Call for applications: 2019-2020 Bioinformatics Training and Internship Program (Batch 04: Jan-Feb)

Student applicants must be undergraduate or graduate students in good academic standing, enrolled in a science or engineering course at an accredited college or university in the Philippines. Young professional applicants must have a BS degree in a science or engineering field, and be a researcher and/or faculty member employed at a research or higher education institution in the Philippines.

Cracking the genomes of marine & non-model organisms: novel approaches for correcting, assembling and scaffolding genomic data using de Bruijn graphs and Hi-C contact maps

For a very long time, most bioinformatic tools for handling genome data have been geared toward haploid (or diploid but nearly homozygous) organisms such as humans, bacteria and laboratory strains of model species. As a result, these tools often perform very badly on highly heterozygous diploid or polyploid organisms, which is the case of many non-model and/or marine species.