The Sphagnum Genome Project

Sphagnum (peatmoss)-dominated peatlands store a vast amount of terrestrial carbon as dead organic peat. Sphagnum is a keystone genus in these ecosystems, with its biological function (e.g., photosynthetic CO2 gain, recalcitrant decomposition, acidification) and the abiotic environments it creates (i.e., hydrological patterns, nutrient availability) influencing ecosystem structure and function. Together these attributes have supported the claim that Sphagnum is the most important plant genus for carbon cycle globally, and therefore climate. The recent DOE Joint Genome Institute initiative to sequence the Sphagnum genome represents an initial attempt to scale genomic insight across levels of biological organization that ultimately influence ecosystem function through carbon and nutrient cycling. We will introduce the audience to current research projects that are developing Sphagnum genomic resources including mapping populations, transcriptomics, mating systems, phylogenetics, and functional trait characterization.