Progress in Plant Genome Sequencing

Abstract

The genome sequence of any organism is key to understanding the biology and utility of that organism. Plants have diverse, complex and sometimes very large nuclear genomes, mitochondrial genomes and much smaller and more highly conserved chloroplast genomes. Plant genome sequences underpin our understanding of plant biology and serve as a key platform for the genetic selection and improvement of crop plants to achieve food security. The development of technology that can capture large volumes of sequence data at low costs and with high accuracy has driven the acceleration of plant genome sequencing advancements. More recently, the development of long read sequencing technology has been a key advance for supporting the accurate sequencing and assembly of chromosome-level plant genomes. This review explored the progress in the sequencing and assembly of plant genomes and the outcomes of plant genome sequencing to date. The outcomes support the conservation of biodiversity, adaptations to climate change and improvements in the sustainability of agriculture, which support food and nutritional security.