US-AUSTRALIAN ACADEMIES JOINT WORKSHOP
US-AUSTRALIAN ACADEMIES JOINT WORKSHOP ON VERTEBRATE COMPARATIVE GENOMICS
Beckman Conference Centre, Irvine, California, 23-25 May 2007
The tammar wallaby genome: An essential piece in the phylogenetic puzzle
by Annette McGrath/Peter Wilson
Dr Annette McGrath
Following a PhD in molecular biology in 1996, Dr Annette McGrath undertook a postdoc in bioinformatics in multiple sequence alignment under the direction of Prof Des Higgins. She then spent a number of years working in a biotechnology company focused on gene discovery in large scale plant genomics. At the Australian Genome Research Facility for the past 5 years, Annette's interests include genome assembly and annotation.
Dr Peter Wilson
After completing his PhD in 1992 (Thesis title: 'Molecular Genetics of Hunter Syndrome') at the Adelaide Childrens Hospital, Dr Peter Wilson applied for a post doctoral fellowship at the Molecular Neurogenetics Unit of Massachussetts General Hospital in Boston where he was involved in a project to positional clone a brain related tumor suppressor gene under the direction of Jonathan Haines and Jim Gusella. Dr Wilson returned for a second post-doc at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research where he continued working on colon and breast cancer related tumour suppressor genes. Dr Wilson took up a position as Senior Scientist at the AGRF running the Project Sequencing section and was promoted to Sequencing Manager and has been in this position since 2004.
The genome of the model Australian kangaroo Macropus eugenii (the tammar wallaby) has been sequenced to 2x coverage in a collaboration between the Australian Genome Research Facility and Baylor College of Medicine, HGSC. It is representative of a mammalian species that is 100 million years divergent from placental mammals and 70 million years divergent from the opossum, Monodelphis domesticus, the only other marsupial genome sequence that is available.
There are 270 species of marsupials, of which 200 are found in Australia. The tammar wallaby, a small kangaroo species and member of the largest family of Australian marsupials, the Macropodidae displays novel biological features of long standing research interest. These include: arrested embryonic development (diapause), mammary glands elaborating milk of different compositions to support the growth and development of two siblings of different ages. In addition, wallabies are born 27 days after conception before hindlimbs or gonads, which offers exciting opportunities to study key mammalian developmental processes.
Initial analysis is underway to explore the genome organisation of this marsupial that occupies an exclusive phylogenetic position between placental mammals and birds/reptiles. Discussion will focus on the development of strategies for assembly of this 2 x genome sequence.
Contact details:
Australian Genome Research Facility Ltd
The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute
1G Royal Parade Parkville VIC 3050
Peter Wilson
Tel: +61 7 3346 9202
Fax: +61 7 3365 1823
Email: peter.wilson@agrf.org.au
Annette McGrath
Tel: +61 07 3346 9201
Email: annette.mcgrath@agrf.org.au
