Abstract Detail

Phylogenomics

Allnutt, Theodore [1], Barrett, Matthew [2], Brown, Gillian [3], Crayn, Darren [4], Jackson, Chris [5], Lum, Mabel [6], McLay, Todd [7], Murphy, Daniel [8], Nargar, Katharina [9], Sauquet, Hervé [10], Schmidt-Lebuhn, Alexander [11], Shepherd, Kelly [12], Simpson, Lalita [13], Van Dijk, Korjent [14], Waycott, Michelle [15].

The Australian Angiosperm Tree of Life project.

Australia has a highly unique flora with ca. 20,000 species of vascular plants, of which more than 90% are endemic. However, many questions remain regarding the assembly, diversification and trait evolution of the Australian flora, which hinge on the availability of a robust phylogenetic framework. Remaining gaps in our knowledge of Australian plant diversity render conservation management of rare and threatened species as well as taxonomic revisions difficult. Australian taxa are underrepresented in phylogenetic studies, and limited genomic reference data are available for research.
To create genomic resources for the study of Australia’s plant diversity, the Genomics for Australian Plants (GAP) consortium funds sequencing, bioinformatics training, and outreach activities. These activities are organised into three pillars: genome sequencing, conservation genomics, and the Australian Angiosperm Tree of Life (AAToL) project. The first stage goal of AAToL to produce sequence capture data for at least 95% of native Australian genera of flowering plants has now been completed.
We will discuss: (1) The architecture of the AAToL collaboration, where co-investment by state and federal herbaria was critical to the success of the project, as were coordination of sampling efforts and data exchange with the Plant And Fungal Tree of Life (PAFTOL) consortium. (2) Bioinformatics pipelines developed for the project and their ease of use and accessibility. (3) Data availability, preliminary results emphasising quality control, and phylogenetic analyses. (4) Future directions. Currently, AAToL stage 2 is sequencing selected clades of Australian flowering plants at the species level, and further expansion is envisioned.

Related Links:
Project website

1 - Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
2 - James Cook University, Australian Tropical Herbarium, McGregor Rd, Smithfiled, QLD, 4878, Australia
3 - Queensland Herbarium, Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong, Queensland, 4066, Australia
4 - James Cook University, Australian Tropical Herbarium, Sir Robert Norman (E2) Building, PO Box 6811, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia
5 - Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
6 - Bioplatforms Australia, Macquarie University, Level 4, 4 Wally's Walk, NSW, 2109, Australia
7 - University Of Melbourne, School Of Botany, University Of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
8 - Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Plant Sciences, Private Bag 2000, South Yarra, 3141, Australia
9 - CSIRO, Australian Tropical Herbarium, Australian Tropical Herbarium, JCU, Cairns Campus, PO Box 6811, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia
10 - Royal Botanic Gardens And Domain Trust, National Herbarium Of New South Wales (NSW), Mrs Macquaries Rd, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
11 - CSIRO, Australian National Herbarium, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
12 - Western Australian Herbarium, Department Of Biodiversity, Conservation & Attractions, 92 Enfield Street, Lathlain, WA, 6100, Australia
13 - Genomics For Australian Plants, Australia
14 - The University of Adelaide, Department of Genetics and Evolution, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
15 - School Of Earth And Environmental Sciences, State Herbarium Of South Australia, PO Box 2732, James Cook University, Adelaide, SA, 5071, Australia

Keywords:
Australia
target-capture
phylogenomics
Angiosperms.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Number: PHYLO II016
Abstract ID:405
Candidate for Awards:None