Genomics

Genomics is the study of the complete set of DNA within an organism, including the structure, function, and regulation of its genes. It involves analyzing how genes interact with each other and how they respond to environmental conditions. In plants, genomics helps unravel the molecular basis of important traits such as yield, disease resistance, flavour, secondary metabolite production, and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress. In pathogens, genomics reveals patterns of evolution, host adaptation, and virulence, providing critical insights for disease management.

At BIG Facility, genomics research is supported by high-throughput sequencing technologies and advanced computational pipelines that enable efficient processing and interpretation of large-scale genomic datasets. Commonly used tools include FastQC, Trimmomatic, BWA, Bowtie2, Samtools, GATK, SPAdes, BUSCO, and visualization platforms such as IGV. These toolsets support applications such as genome assembly, annotation, variant calling, and comparative genomics.

Genomic analyses carried out at the centre contribute to understanding genetic diversity, identifying trait-associated variants, reconstructing evolutionary relationships, and developing data-driven approaches for crop improvement and pathogen surveillance.