Hornworm Genome . . . Sequenced!
The tobacco hornworm has served as an important model for insect biology since the 1950s, due to its large size. Credit: Dave Pape–image and caption from phys.org/news
An international team of researchers has sequenced the genome of the tobacco hornworm—a caterpillar species used in many research laboratories for studies of insect biology. . .
The researchers have published their work in a paper titled “Multifaceted biological insights from a draft genome sequence of the tobacco hornworm moth, Manduca sexta” in the journal Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The scientists have made the genome sequence available to the public through the National Agricultural Library and the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). . .
The sequenced genome can lead to improved molecular biology, physiology and neurobiology research in insects and also may help in developing future new methods for insect pest management. The tobacco hornworm is a good model species because of its large size—the caterpillar can measure up to 4 inches long— making it easy to collect tissue samples.–article by Jennifer Tidball, Patricia Waldron for Phys.org
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-08-sequence-genome-gluttonous-tobacco-hornworm.html#jCp
