Murdoch joins global gene investigation

The Centre for Rhizobium Studies at Murdoch University is the only Australian participant in a collaborative project to sequence the genomes of 40 examples from the spectrum of life on Earth.

The grant is part of the Community Sequencing Program run by the Joint Genome Institute in the United States with US$15 million of funding.

The Murdoch Centre will focus on the DNA sequence of a strain of Sinorhizobium medicae WSM419, the first commercial acid tolerant symbiotic strain developed for Medicago crops.

This strain has genes for acid tolerance and nitrogen fixation, and a greater understanding of its genetics will provide a great boost to rhizobium research programs.

The team, which is led by Dr Wayne Reeve, aims to have the full sequence completed within 12 months.