centre nacional d'anàlisi genòmica
centro nacional de análisis genómico
centro nacional de análisis genómico
Xerocrassa montserratensis and Tylodina raffinesquii are two endangered molluscs inhabiting Catalonia. Xerocrassa genus is highly specious, and no genome is available. With no reference genome for the whole order Umbraculida, a reference genome for Tylodina raffinesquii will be a keystone resource for genomic diversity and unveil the molecular mechanisms of how predators can obtain toxins from their prey.
Although in previous projects, specifically within the framework of the last BIOGENOMA 2024 call, CNAG proposed sequencing both species, the results did not meet the required quality standards. Both species had already been sampled, DNA extracted, libraries prepared, and the initial flowcell sequenced at CNAG. However, the data quality was poor due to early saturation of the nanopore flowcell, which severely limited sequencing throughput. As a result, with the resources and samples available from the previous calls, it was not feasible to achieve a successful genome assembly.
In this new call, CNAG is proposing to increase the number of flowcells per species and to invest in improved starting material, optimised sample preparation methods, and enhanced sequencing strategies. These measures aim to generate sufficient high-quality long-read data to achieve chromosome-level genome assemblies. The sequencing will be carried out using Nanopore technology, and, if required, new samples will be obtained upon securing the appropriate collection permits.
This project is funded by the Institute of Catalan Studies, through the Catalan Initiative for the Earth BioGenome Project.
THE ROLE OF CNAG
CNAG will be responsible for the entire workflow, including DNA extraction, quality control, library preparation, and sequencing, which will be carried out by the Sequencing Unit. The resulting data will then be processed by the Genome Assembly and Annotation team, who will handle genome assembly and functional annotation to deliver high-quality, chromosome-level assemblies.
COORDINATION
Dr. Marta Pascual Berniola (Universitat de Barcelona).
