Advancing the Frontiers of Genetic Science at the Joint Genome Institute

Modern hybrid sugarcane is one of the most harvested crops on the planet, used to make products including sugar, molasses, bioethanol, and bio-based materials. It also has one of the most complex genetic blueprints, featuring many replicated chromosomes and three times as many total base pairs as the human genome.

Sugarcane’s complicated genetics made it the last major crop species without a complete and highly accurate reference genome. But last year, an international team announced the completion of a map of sugarcane’s genetic code, using a combination of sophisticated DNA sequencing techniques at the JGI.

The map verified the specific location that provides resistance to brown rust disease, which devastates unprotected sugar crops, and identified the many genes involved in sugar production. These results will help scientists breed hardier, more productive crops for both sugar and bioenergy.