US: First complete blackberry genome assembled

An international team of scientists has assembled the first complete sequence of the blackberry genome, creating a genetic tool that will help guide fruit growers to develop new varieties with better taste, resistance and other desired traits. Margaret Worthington, associate professor and fruit breeder at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the Division of Agricultural Systems at the University of Arkansas, said this project produced the first assembly and annotation of the chromosomal length of the blackberry genome. Worthington collaborated with a team of 26 researchers representing institutions from seven countries, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Finland, Norway, Australia, China and the United States, and together they assembled the genome of Hillquist, a cloudberry with a unique fruiting habit in 1949 by HL Hillquist, a gardener in Ashland, Virginia. It is the only known source of primocane fruiting genetics and is the parent of all ...