Genomic technologies

Science programme: Genomic technologies

The Genomic technologies group operates as a core capability offering expertise, and resources to other research groups within HortResearch. We maintain key genomic technologies and develop new capabilities in order to advance progress in other science areas. Key resources are:

• Bioinformatics, the science of compiling, storing, processing, analysing and summarising biological data.
• DNA Cloning and sequencing where the skilled team provide physical clones for plant transformation and further experimentation.
• Microarrays to study gene expression, predominantly in our fruit crops.
• Metabolic profiling to determine the compounds present in fruit and determine metabolic pathways involved in fruit development.
• Plant transformation for functional analysis of genes in crop plants.
• Physical mapping where both physical maps and Genetic maps are associated for identifying the genes associated with valuable crop traits.

Years of pioneering research into fruit genomics have enabled HortResearch to establish one of the world's largest fruit gene databases. The ability of HortResearch teams to exploit the value of this database is greatly enhanced by the tools and resources developed by the genomic technologies team.

For example, the microarray team has completed a study of gene expression during fruit development in apples. Working in close collaboration with the mapping and breeding teams, the bioinformatics team has developed a system to allow rapid development of markers for breeding of new cultivars. Likewise our cloning and sequencing team began new projects to further investigate gene function.

Our science capabilities in the field of genomic technologies underpin our approach to fruit breeding. The successful integration of all these technologies provides to HortResearch a strong competitive advantage.

For a better understanding of our research, we recommend the following documents:

Richard D. Newcomb, Ross N. Crowhurst, Andrew P. Gleave, Erik H.A. Rikkerink, Andrew C. Allan, Lesley L. Beuning, Judith H. Bowen, Emma Gera, Kim R. Jamieson, Bart J. Janssen, William A. Laing, Steve McArtney, Bhawana Nain, Gavin S. Ross, Kimberley C. Snowden, Edwige J.F. Souleyre, Eric F. Walton, and Yar-Khing Yauk
Analyses of Expressed Sequence Tags from Apple (Malus x domestica)
Plant Physiol. First published on March 10, 2006; 10.1104

Tianchi Wang, Yidong Ran, Ross G. Atkinson, Andrew P. Gleave, Dan Cohen,
Transformation of Actinidia eriantha: A potential species for functional genomics studies in Actinidia,
Plant Cell Reports, Apr 2006, Pages 1 – 7

L.G. Fraser, C.F. Harvey, R.N. Crowhurst, H.N. Silva,
EST-derived microsatellites from Actinidia species and their potential for mapping ,
TAG Theoretical and Applied Genetics, Volume 108, Issue 6, Apr 2004, Pages 1010 - 1016

Hellens, R.P., Allan, A.C., Friel, E.N., Bolitho, K., Grafton, K., Templeton, M.D., Karunairetnam, S., Gleave, A.P., and Laing, W.A. (2005)
Transient expression vectors for functional genomics, quantification of promoter activity and RNA silencing in plants.
Plant Methods 1, 13.

Snowden, K.C., Simkin, A.J., Janssen, B.J., Templeton, K.R., Loucas, H.M., Simons, J.L., Karunairetnam, S., Gleave, A.P., Clark , D.G., and Klee, H.J.(2005).
The decreased apical dominance1/Petunia hybrida CAROTENOID CLEAVAGE DIOXYGENASE8 gene affects branch production and plays a role in leaf senescence, root growth, and flower development
Plant Cell 17(3): 746-759