Agricultural Biology

Food security and sustainability are at risk from exponential human population growth coupled with novel environmental stressors due to climate change. If mankind is to continue to thrive in our ever-changing world, new approaches to food production and distribution are required. In this regard, genomics holds much promise and is revolutionizing how scientists approach and overcome key challenges in agriculture.

As an example, a focus on discovering novel “green” methods for pest control using gene-editing technologies is underway. Critical to more accurate upfront design and actionable downstream data is access to a high-quality genome for the species under study. Dovetail Genomics® has been working with agrigenomics researchers to deliver world-class de novo genome assemblies that help meet the challenges of food security and sustainability, crop improvement, and agricultural pest control.

High-quality genome assemblies of agriculturally important plants or insect pests can help in the study of:

• Identification of genes and pathways linked to desirable traits
• Structural variation
• Hybridization
• Allele-specific expression
• Polyploidy
• Plant taxonomy
• Breeding program management
• Pest control

De novo genome assemblies have traditionally been pseudo-haploid in nature. Newer, more accurate long read sequencing coupled with unbiased, restriction-enzyme-free proximity ligation technology is enabling high-quality haplotype-resolved genome assemblies from a single individual. Phased haplotype blocks are now chromosome scale, further empowering genetic analyses in plants and animals.

At Dovetail®, we are continually looking for ways to enrich our datasets to provide our customers with genome assemblies that will stand the test of time. Our newest workflow includes PacBio HiFi long reads assembled using HiFiasm and Omni-C long range proximity ligation data. The resulting two haplotype-resolved assemblies are then scaffolded to chromosome-scale using Dovetail’s proprietary HiRise software. Haplotype-resolved assemblies offer many advantages for genomic-based studies in agricultural biology. Please see this blog post for more details

Outsource your genome assembly to the experts at Dovetail. We will deliver a highly accurate and contiguous haplotype-resolved assembly that you can trust.

• Proprietary sample-to-publishable assembly workflow
• PacBio^® HiFi^® long reads plus Omni-C scaffolding for high-quality haplotype-resolved assembly
• Bespoke annotation pipeline with manual curation for optimal accuracy
• Dedicated Project Manager for pre- and post-project support