The availability of a high-quality reference genome accelerates breeding programs. A reference genome assembled to large scaffolds or even full-length chromosomes reveals the genome architecture as well as locations of specific genes and markers. Insight into gene order allows QTL analyses to be performed without the need of a physical map. Additionally, questions involving structural variant detection can be answered, facilitating prediction of recombination frequencies along the genome. Finally, a good reference genome is a valuable addition to breeding programs involving commercial varieties that lack specific traits that are available in wild germplasm. Back-crossing the genomic regions responsible for these interesting traits is enabled by the availability of a high-quality genome assembly.
Genetwister applies the most recent NGS technologies to construct high-quality reference genomes. These technologies involve long read sequencing combined with genome mapping and chromatin conformation capture data such as Hi-C.
