Biology - Eucalyptus sequencing

ORNL is part of an ambitious international effort to decode the genome of Eucalyptus, one of the world's most valuable fiber and paper-producing trees and only the second tree to have its DNA sequenced. Jerry Tuskan of ORNL's Environmental Science Division co-leads the effort to characterize the Eucalyptus genome. The DNA sequence of the 600-million-nucleotide tree genome will be generated under the auspices of DOE's Joint Genome Institute. The genus Eucalyptus includes some of the fastest growing woody plants in the world and is one of the most widely planted forest trees in the world. Eucalyptus offers extraordinary opportunities for comparative genomic analysis with Populus, the first tree sequenced, which was published in the journal Science by DOE JGI and collaborators in 2006.