Real time portable genome sequencing for global food security
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Date
2018
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
F1000 Research
Abstract
Crop losses due to viral diseases and pests are major constraints on
food security and income for millions of households in sub-Saharan
Africa (SSA). Such losses can be reduced if plant diseases and pests are
correctly diagnosed and identified early. Currently, accurate diagnosis
for definitive identification of plant viruses and their vectors in SSA
mostly relies on standard PCR and next generation sequencing
technologies (NGS). However, it can take up to 6 months before
results generated using these approaches are available. The long time
taken to detect or identify viruses impedes quick, within-season
decision-making necessary for early action, crop protection advice and
disease control measures by farmers. This ultimately compounds the
magnitude of crop losses and food shortages suffered by farmers. The
MinION portable pocket DNA sequencer was used, to our knowledge
globally for the first time, to sequence whole plant virus genomes. We
used this technology to identify the begomoviruses causing the
devastating cassava mosaic virus, which is ravaging smallholder
farmers’ crops in sub-Saharan Africa.
Description
Keywords
Cassava, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Nanopore, Minion, SDG2
Citation
Boykin L, Ghalab A, Rossitto De Marchi B et al. Real time portable genome sequencing for global food security [version 1; peer review: 1 approved, 1 approved with reservations] F1000Research 2018, 7:1101 https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.15507.1