Umibudo Genome Decoding, the Center of Attention!

The Marine Genomics Unit (Prof. Satoh) has decoded the genome of the popular umibudo (seagrapes), providing data that could someday be critical to local farmers.

The study, published February 28, 2019 in DNA Research, utilized sample sea grapes from the Onna Village Fishery Cooperative, whose greenhouses are located just around the corner from OIST campus. The scientists deciphered the full sea grape genome and compared it to 15 published plant genomes, collected from unicellular algae, a type of moss, rice and thale cress. The research revealed key genes that allow sea grapes, a unicellular organism, to don its complex shape, and demonstrated the utility of using the algae to explore evolutionary processes in green plants. >> Read more: https://www.oist.jp/news-center/press-releases/okinawan-sea-grapes-reveal-secrets-plant-evolution

Japanese media