The long-term goals of this award are to use genomic tools in soybean to decipher the genetic/genomic effects of multiple rounds of polyploidization followed by diploidization, a poorly understood phenomenon, and develop a BAC-based, sequence ready map for the public. To begin to address the goals, the team will create a physical map integrated with the available genetic map. A physical map is the basic building block used to clone important agricultural genes and to sequence segments of genomes or entire genomes. In addition to development of an integrated genetic-physical map, DNA sequencing will be done to assess the microstructure of the soybean genome at several locations. The soybean genome is highly duplicated; that is, any particular region may be present multiple times, which complicates genome mapping and sequencing. The team will target and sequence the duplicated regions to ascertain the level of conservation between duplicated regions and to determine how to overcome the difficulty posed by duplications within the genome. Integrated into the project are opportunities for faculty and students from Primarily Undergraduate Institutions to participate each summer in the project at each of the involved institutions.
Access to project outcomes All DNA sequences will be deposited in GenBank and trace files in the trace file repository as soon as the qualities are checked. Integrated physical and genetic map data will be made available through the Legume Information System (LIS: www.comparative-legumes.org/).
