KeyGene, AGI Ink Deal Covering Whole Genome Profiling Technology

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Agricultural genomics firm KeyGene and the Arizona Genome Institute today announced an agreement for the use of the Wageningen, Netherlands-based firm's Whole Genome Profiling method in sequencing-based physical mapping projects.

AGI will also market the WGP method as part of the deal, which provides the institute a method for assembling physical maps for internal research projects and customer projects. WGP maps serve as scaffolds in whole-genome sequencing projects, allowing researchers direct access to Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes (BAC), which contain genome segments of interest. The technology also can be used to ascertain structural genome changes in evolutionary studies and breeding programs, KeyGene and AGI said.

The WGP method uses next-generation sequencing to produce short-read sequences next to restriction enzyme recognition sites in BACs. The BACs are pooled, and BAC-pooled DNA are isolated based on protocols developed by KeyGene's co-marketing partner Amplicon Express.

"The WGP tags are used to assemble large numbers of BACs into a physical map of overlapping clones," KeyGene said in a statement. "Integration of whole-genome sequence data with the WGP map results in super scaffolds with superior assembly metrics."

Financial and other terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"Once WGP is established in our institute we will immediately apply it to our ongoing work to sequence the collective Oryza and Brassicales genomes on our quest to help solve the 9 billion people question — which is how can we grow enough food to feed an additional 2 billion inhabitants in less than 40 years," Rod Wing, director of AGI at the University of Arizona, said in a statement.