RNA Seq to study Genome size evolution in the genus Genlisea

The monophyletic genus Genlisea, belonging to the carnivorous Lentibulariaceae family, is outstanding in several aspects. One is the strikingly different genome sizes (60 Mbp – 1,670 Mbp) between its species ranging from less than half of the Arabidopsis thaliana genome to more than 20-fold larger. Other peculiar aspects are a unique trapping system for carnivory and an extremely high rate of base substitutions in plastom. Using Genlisea as a model system, we seek to address long-standing and fundamental questions of genome evolution.