De novo assembly of the rooibos genome

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Date

2020

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

University of Western Cape

Abstract

Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) is endemic to the Cederberg region of South Africa, and one of the few indigenous medicinal plants commercially cultivated in the country. International interest in rooibos is growing, and currently most of the rooibos harvest is exported overseas to more than 30 countries. Various problems hamper the growth of the rooibos industry, including insect pests, diseases, drought and a decreasing lifespan of the plants. The availability of whole-genome data for rooibos can contribute to the selection of genetically superior plants, facilitating not only the identification of important genes and metabolic pathways in rooibos, but also the establishment of breeding programs.

Description

>Magister Scientiae - MSc

Keywords

South Africa, Medicinal plants, Rooibos, Next-generation sequencing, De novo genome assembly

Citation