This project would increase the sequence depth across a broader phylogenetic diversity of gymnosperms compared to previous focus on the Pinaceae. The specific transcriptomes and the genome targeted in this project would greatly accelerate our understanding of the functional and structural genomic underpinnings of the diverse secondary metabolic biosynthetic systems of these conifers, and facilitate new comparative studies with other gymnosperms. We are particularly interested in the elucidation of new and known metabolic pathways responsible for the production of candidate fuels and high value chemicals.
Proposer: Joerg Bohlmann, University of British Columbia (Canada)