Completing the Ordered Nucleotide Sequence of the Tammar Wallaby a Step Closer. (November 23, 2008)

The Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Kangaroo Genomics (KanGO), based in Canberra have produced a map of the genome of the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii), the kangaroo species being sequenced by an international consortium.

NatureNews reports that a "separate team, based in Melbourne and at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, last year completed sequencing the kangaroo's DNA, producing the sequences of overlapping fragments covering the whole genome."

 Now KanGO scientists led by ANU professor Jenny Graves will use the map they have produced to assemble these fragments to get an ordered nucleotide sequence of the complete genome.

Professor Graves says KanGo is giving "visibility and respectability in the international genomic community [but it's] disappointing that Australia really missed the genomics bus. We failed to capitalise on the valuable information we can get from the genomes of our unique fauna; I hope now that the much cheaper next-generation sequencing is here Australia can get back on the bus," and adds, ""it has proved difficult to get funding in Australia to sequence other marsupials — even the Tasmanian devil, which is very high profile because of the transmissible tumour that is threatening it with extinction".

Whether or not the year-old Federal Labor Government led by Kevin Rudd will be more sympathetic in providing resources for fundamental genomic research in the current economic climate is problematic. A spokesman for Kim Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, told NatureNews that "the government is currently 'considering options' as part of its response, due early next year, to a review of the national innovation system".