Agricultural Genomics

For the species whose genome sequence is unknown or whose genome assembly is not ideal, de novo sequencing is a method to obtain the complete genome sequence information of the species, including different types of DNA libraries construction,  sequencing, assembly and annotation with bioinformatics methods

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) is a method for obtaining candidate genes or genomic regions associated with phenotypic traits. GWAS research is conducted base on SNPs and phenotypic information of each individual in a population, and the linkage disequilibrium between markers and target genes.

A linkage map (also known as a genetic map) is a table for a species or experimental population that shows the position of its known genes or genetic markers relative to each other in terms of recombination frequency, rather than a specific physical distance along each chromosome.

Marker-assisted selection and genomic selection are major approaches of genetic breeding for crops and livestock. Marker-assisted selection (MAS) is an indirect selection process where a trait of interest is selected based on a marker linked to a trait of interest, rather than on the trait itself. Genomic selection is a novel approach to traditional marker-assisted selection where selection are made based on few markers. Rather than seeking to identify individual loci significantly associated with a trait, genomic selection uses all marker data as predictors of performance and consequently delivers more accurate predictions.