Scientists at the Boyce Thompson Institute have constructed a comprehensive “super-pangenome” for watermelon and its wild relatives, uncovering beneficial genes lost during domestication that could improve disease resistance and fruit quality of this vital fruit crop.
For further reading:
- Behind the rind: New genomic insights into watermelon evolution, quality, and resilience
Published in Science Daily on August 11, 2023. - A Citrullus genus super‐pangenome reveals extensive variations in wild and cultivated watermelons and sheds light on watermelon evolution and domestication
by: Shan Wu, Honghe Sun, Lei Gao, Sandra Branham, Cecilia McGregor, Susanne S. Renner, Yong Xu, Chandrasekar Kousik, W. Patrick Wechter, Amnon Levi, and Zhangjun Fei
Published in Plant Biotechnology Journal on July 25, 2023.
DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14120 - Read more from Boyce Thompson Institute.