KeyGene’s two-part webinar on PanGenomes: needs, value and applications.

PanGenomes describe the available genetic diversity within, for instance, plant species, crops or germplasm collections. Because of diminishing costs of genome sequencing, increasing speed of reference genomes construction and advances in bioinformatics, PanGenomes have become an accessible tool. The genome insights delivered by PanGenomes can spectacularly speed up and contribute to plant breeding and research.

KeyGene is well known for its unique combination of extensive expertise in wet lab and in silico research. We offer optimized techniques for high molecular weight plant DNA isolation, the most advanced DNA sequencing platforms and breakthrough bioinformatics pipelines and tools. This combination has already allowed KeyGene to successfully support partners in building and applying plant PanGenomes.

At KeyGene, we underpin the value of PanGenomes and support partners in constructing and using it. Therefore, we organized this two-part webinar on PanGenomes, where we explain what one needs to be able to construct PanGenomes and highlight their value in breeding and research. The two-part webinar also showcased KeyGene capabilities in successfully generating and using PanGenomes.

Program of KeyGene’s two-part webinar on PanGenomes

Part I: Building for a PanGenome, Wednesday 17 February 2021

• A high-quality reference genome as a basis for a useful PanGenome, Alexander Wittenberg, Genomics Scientist, KeyGene
• The why of PanGenomes and a glimpse of KeyGene capabilities in PanGenome construction, Erwin Datema, Senior Scientist Genome Informatics, KeyGene
• The needs for a PanGenome and its value, Rod Wing, Professor Plant Science and Director of Center for Desert Agriculture, KAUST

Professor Rod Wing is a renowned plant scientist who has taken professorship positions in prestigious universities: University of Arizona, Clemson University and Texas A&M University, after finishing his postdoctoral studies in Cornell University and UC Berkley. Currently, Prof Wing is the director of Center for Desert Agriculture and a professor at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). His lab is interested in the evolutionary history of rice and focuses on detecting natural variations by generating high-quality reference genomes for cultivated rice and its wild relatives with the aim of creating a PanGenome.

=> Register now for Part 1 of KeyGene’s two-part webinar on PanGenomes

Part 2: Construction and use, Thursday 18 March 2021

• State-of-the art tools for PanGenome construction at KeyGene, Erwin Datema, Senior Scientist Genome Informatics, KeyGene
• Applications of PanGenome in breeding and research, René Hofstede, Program Scientist, KeyGene
• The value of a PanGenome for crop breeding, Allen Sessions, Senior Principle Scientist and Crop Genetics Team Lead, BASF

Dr Allen Sessions holds a PhD in Plant Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. He has held leading positions at Syngenta and Bayer CropScience working on genotyping, marker-trait associations and next-generation sequencing applications in cotton, maize, and soybean. Currently, Dr Sessions is a senior principal scientist and Group Leader of Crop Genetics at BASF where his team focuses on trait discovery and deployment for cotton and soybean breeding while applying various NGS technologies.

=> Register now for Part 2 of KeyGene’s two-part webinar on PanGenomes