Diatoms contribute as much photosynthesis on Earth as all the rain forests. They also fuel marine food webs on which all ocean life depends, are major players in biogeochemical cycles, and are of interest for biofuels. We propose to sequence whole genomes from Chaetoceros diatoms. Chaetoceros is the most abundant and cosmopolitan diatom genus in the world’s ocean, so these genomes will enable population genetics studies and allow exploration of the genetic and epigenetic contributions to species adaptation and evolution, as well as for the discovery of novel genes related to distinct traits.
Proposer: Chris Bowler, Institut de Biologie (France)
Proposal: New Diatom Genome Sequences from the Most Abundant Genus in the Global Ocean