The first complete biting midge genome
Collaboration with Pirbright Institute produces first complete Culicoides biting midge genome.
August 24, Hinxton - Researchers at the The Pirbright Institute and EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) have generated and built the first complete Culicoides biting midge genome. These flies are not only an annoying biting nuisance for those visiting or living in Scotland, but also transmit a range of important animal viruses on UK farms including bluetongue virus.
The research was published today in BMC Genomics, and the entire genome will be made available on EMBL-EBI’s Ensembl in December.
The midge genome will also assist genetic manipulation of arthropods, including the production of transgenic lines. This technique is already routinely applied in a large number of research areas with mosquitoes, including how they find their hosts, why certain individuals get infected by viruses and others don’t, and in producing sterile insects for control purposes.
For more information, visit the Pirbright Institute News page.
Source article
MORALES-HOJA, R., et al. (2018). The genome of the biting midge Culicoides sonorensis and gene expression analyses ofvector competence for bluetongue virus. BMC Genomics. Published online 24 08. DOI: 0.1186/s12864-018-5014-1
Funding
This research was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC); grant number BB/J016721/1.
