Collaborative project

The Macropus eugenii genome has been sequenced to 2x coverage using Sanger sequencing, enhanced with additional next generation sequencing and the integration of extensive physical and linkage maps to build the genome assembly. The genome sequencing and assembly was a collaborative effort between the Baylor College of Medicine Human Genome Sequencing Center (BCM-HGSC) and the Melbourne-based Australian Genome Research Facility Ltd. (AGRF). The wallaby genome will assist investigations of mammalian reproduction, development and genome evolution. The large size and small number of diploid chromosomes in the tammar wallaby simplify the study of mitosis, cell cycles, DNA replication, radiation safety, genome stability, and genome evolution. Tammar wallabies are notable for having a highly synchronized breeding cycle and an extended period of embryonic diapause mediated by both lactal- and photoperiod-inhibition.