Gene Clusters and Speciation – Unraveling Complex Plant Genomes

Xdrop® is a microfluid droplet technology that enriches and amplifies long DNA fragments of largely unknown sequence from low sample input. Genomics researchers have coupled it with long and short-read sequencing (Oxford Nanopore, PacBio and Illumina) to gain high-resolution insights into genomic regions that have previously been inaccessible.  Examples of its use in unraveling plant genomes include closing gaps due to poor genome assemblies or low correspondence between reference genome and plant variety,  resolving structural rearrangements like transposable elements, and examining gene clusters without performing whole genome sequencing. Xdrop can be applied in relation to QTL mapping and bulk segregant analysis by enabling targeted sequencing of the identified region of interest in several segregating plants with the aim of identifying the polymorphisms either linked to or causing the phenotype of interest. The long-range genomic information (100 kb) and single-molecule resolution achieved with Xdrop target enrichment simplifies working with large and structurally complex genomes with an easy capture design and workflow.