são paulo

The creation of a network of laboratories in São Paulo state, Brazil, to sequence the complete genome of a microorganism was announced last week by the Foundation for the Support of Research of the State of São Paulo (FAPESP), the state funding agency.

The Organisation for Nucleotide Sequencing and Analysis will first tackle the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, the causal agent of many economically important plant diseases, particularly citrus variegated chlorosis, which poses a major threat to São Paulo's orange cultivation. This is thought to be the first plant pathogen genome to have been sequenced.

Citrus variegated chlorosis, first reported in 1987, has been found only in Brazil and Argentina. São Paulo and Florida are the two most important citrus-growing areas in the world, São Paulo producing 87 per cent of Brazil's — and 30 per cent of the world's — citrus crop. According to FAPESP, the total cost of the project is US$11.6 million, to be spent over two years. Sequencing completion is predicted by 2000.

Xylella fastidiosa was chosen because sequencing might help in the control of the pest, with obvious gains to the state's economy. It will also help to forge links between research centres and the private sector, which is contributing to the cost of the project.

The state says that it is keen to create a network of laboratories that will “significantly increase the number of laboratories in the state capable of using modern molecular biology techniques”.

The project will be overseen by a five-member steering committee consisting of three international experts in genome sequencing and two researchers from São Paulo state. Two of the experts, André Goffeau of the University of Louvain in Belgium and Steve Oliver of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, helped to set up the project, and were also involved in the sequencing of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome.

The committee will select one laboratory to house a bioinformatics centre. Two large central sequencing laboratories will be chosen to generate a large part of the sequence data. These laboratories will also act as training and support centres for other members of the network.