NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – BGI Tech Solutions and Carlsberg Laboratory, part of Copenhagen, Denmark-based brewery Carlsberg Group, today announced a partnership to decode the DNA sequence of barley chromosome 6.
The partnership, they said, is aimed at providing a resource for developing new barley cultivars. They plan to sequence the DNA from chromosome 6 of the seven barley chromosomes, with BGI Tech, a subsidiary of BGI, providing sequencing platforms and analysis. Carlsberg Lab, in association with the International Barley Sequencing Consortium, will provide sample preparation and evaluate the results.
They noted that DNA sequence information is key to developing fast and modern breeding strategies and realizing the potential of genetic variations for improving crops. In barley, the amount of DNA in each cell of the plant is nearly twice that found in humans, and 12 times more than in rice, they added.
"Knowledge of the DNA sequence of barley will give us a leading edge for the future to deliver new barley cultivars with additional value in the entire chain from farmers to our consumers," Carlsberg Lab VP of R&D Jean-Yves Malpote said in a statement.
Financial and other terms of the partnership were not disclosed.