Funded by: PCIEERD
Implementation period: May 2012 – April 2015 | Project Leaders: Merlyn Mendioro,PHD; Eureka Teresa Ocampo, PHD
Saba is an economically important triploid cooking banana which originated from the Philippines. Genes expressed from five different tissues including leaf, flower, petiole, peel, and pulp of saba were identified. From the data, molecular markers could be discovered. Molecular markers are DNA sequences that are used as flags or tags that would indicate the presence of specific characteristics in an individual. As such, these can be used to study variation and in identification or fingerprinting. Plant breeders could also utilize these markers in selection and breeding. Two UPLB scientists started this study under two different research fellowships conducted at the Pennsylvania State University in collaboration with Dr. John Carlson. When the grants ended, the study was continued through the project. Capacity Building in Handling NGS Analyses Data for Specific Commodities under the Emerging S & T Fields Grant Project of the Philippine Genome Center. Currently, marker utility is being validated.
The Saba Genomics Project is a cross-listed project of PGC with the University of the Philippines Los Baños.