The INTA detailed the complete genome of a non-genetically modified soybean
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As reported by the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) and the Ministry of Agriculture, for the first time, the genomic information, sequence, and complementary analysis of a variety of soybean will be made public and available online. This is an Argentine variety created by the state research agency and the University of San Luis.
As provided by the agency and the agricultural department, this advancement will enable the detection of variations in this non-genetically modified variant compared to the global reference genome. This information is essential for the creation of molecular tools aimed at genetic improvement of the species. According to the INTA, this milestone will allow the identification of mutations in this variety in relation to the global reference genome.
The Secretary of Agriculture, Juan José Bahillo, praised the work carried out by the INTA: “This case exemplifies the relevance of the State’s role, as Minister of Economy Sergio Massa emphasizes, in promoting Argentine development and making it available to all productive sectors.” The discovery, made by a research team from INTA in Marcos Juárez, Córdoba, and INTA in Rafaela, Santa Fe, will enable the collection of all the genetic information contained in the cells of a soybean variety developed in Argentina: INTA-FICA 5C k/lx, information that will be accessible online.
As mentioned, this work gains greater significance for being the first genome of a non-GMO genotype developed in Argentina and being sequenced.
According to experts, “this is the first information of this kind to be made public” – INTA. Leonardo Vanzetti, a researcher from INTA in Marcos Juárez and one of the responsible for this development, explained the scope of the achievement: “Having the sequenced genome allows us to start really delving into the genes present in soybeans cultivated in Argentina, which are not so well-known.” It’s because, as he detailed, “in Argentina, these investigations are led by private programs. So, if there is information, it is not public, but it belongs to the company that sequenced their soybean.”
He also highlighted that, “this is the first information of this kind to be made public” and added: “We will put all the genomic information, the sequence, and also the analyses in a web repository, and they will be available.” In this sense, he celebrated: “It’s the first variety to reach this level of depth.”
Furthermore, they mentioned that the research could also have an impact on breeders, especially by providing them with data when creating more effective soybean varieties with novel attributes.
Published by Iraic.Info, news and information agency.
