Research Project
6419111
The mosquito Anopheles gambiae is the most efficient and prevalent vector of human malaria, a disease that causes profound human suffering. Malaria kills more than 1 million people per year, mostly children under the age of 5, and presents a particular burden to the strained health care systems of the developing world. A complete A. gambiae genome will catalyze malaria research in the new century. The complete genome sequence of A. gambiae, together with the genome sequences of the malaria parasite P. falciparum and of its human host, will facilitate a complete molecular dissection of this disease. Using a combination of a new generation of automated DNA sequencing machines, an industrial approach to high-throughput DNA sequencing, and advanced computational techniques, Cetera has developed a unique and exceedingly productive genome sequencing facility. With a strategy known as whole genome shotgun sequencing -- an efficient means of determining large amounts of DNA sequence while providing comprehensive coverage of the genome -- Cetera has determined the sequence of the fruit fly and human genomes and has programs for other eukaryotic organisms well underway. With its experience in efficient and cost-effective high-throughput sequencing, Cetera proposes to perform whole genome shotgun sequencing of A. gambiae. At least I Ox sequencing coverage will be obtained. In addition to its unmatched sequencing capacity, Cetera has developed advanced computational algorithms and infrastructure for genome assembly, the process needed to put together the individual sequence fragments produced by the shotgun sequencing process into contiguous stretches of genomic DNA sequence, and will undertake assembly and annotation of the sequence it produces together with sequence produced by other members of the A. gambiae genome initiative. The complete genome sequence and ancillary information will be freely available to the research community.
