The researchers in New York University (NYU Center for Genomics and Systems Biology have mapped the complete genome of two basmati rice varieties, including one that is drought tolerant and resistant to bacterial disease.
The two varieties: Dom Sufid and Basmati 334
- The researchers sequenced the genome of two basmati rice varieties using long reads from nanopore sequencing. These two varieties are: Basmati 334 from Pakistan and Dom Sufid from Iran.
- Basmati 334 is known to be drought tolerant and resistant to rice killing bacterial blight.
- Dom Sufid is an aromatic long-grain rice.
About Basmati Rice
- According to the researchers, basmati rice is a hybrid of two other rice groups.
- Most genetic material in basmati comes from japonica (a rice group found in East Asia), followed by the rice group aus (found in Bangladesh).
- Basmati is derived from the Hindi word for “fragrant”and it is a type of aromatic longgrain rice grown in southern Asia.
About Nanopore sequencing
- Developed by Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Nanopore sequencing is a unique, scalable technology that enables direct, real-time analysis of long DNA or RNA fragments.
- It works by monitoring changes to an electrical current as nucleic acids are passed through a protein nanopore.
- The resulting signal is decoded to provide the specific DNA or RNA sequence.
