• Question: will it cost more to sequence animals with more chromosomes? It it related to numbers of base pairs?

    Asked by topquestionsfromchat to Abyssal Grenadier, Baltic clam, Brachiopod, Common starfish, Naval Shipworm, Orkney vole, Scottish Crossbill, Snake Pipefish, Twisted-wing fly on 7 Dec 2017.
    • Photo: Common Starfish

      Common Starfish answered on 7 Dec 2017:

      It is the total number of base pairs, not the number of chromosomes, that is the key determinant of the cost.

    • Photo: Abyssal Grenadier

      Abyssal Grenadier answered on 7 Dec 2017:

      Thankfully Sanger Institute will be conducting and paying for the sequencing! The full sequences of the 25 species will be made publically available. The amazing project will help many scientists around the world conduct better research and answer more questions. Very exciting! We hope the abyssal grenadier will be first deep sea genome ever sequenced!!

      Full genome sequencing of the abyssal grenadier would allow for exploration into the genes responsible for survival in the extreme environment of the deep sea as well as providing a better understanding of species distribution and how these species cope with environmental stress and anthropogenic changes. A greater understanding of the ecology and evolution of deep-sea species not only expands our scientific knowledge but it also develops a much-needed stewardship of our oceans!

    • Photo: Scottish Crossbill

      Scottish Crossbill answered on 7 Dec 2017:

      It will cost more to sequence a bigger genome with more base pairs. It might not always be about the number of chromosomes. Some species have a large genome divided into a small number of chromosomes, whereas others have small genome with not many chromosomes. it’s all about the total number of A, C G and T.

    • Photo: Snake Pipefish

      Snake Pipefish answered on 7 Dec 2017:

      For the winning species it will cost nothing! 🙂 But generally speaking, larger genomes, so genomes with more base pairs, cost more to sequence.

    • Photo: Orkney Vole

      Orkney Vole answered on 8 Dec 2017:

      You are correct. The bigger the genome the greater the cost. So it’s dependent on the number of base-pairs.

    • Photo: Twisted-wing Fly

      Twisted-wing Fly answered on 8 Dec 2017:

      Costs are about the same even for widely differing genome sizes.

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