Genomics of Plant Gene Banks: Prospects for Managing and Delivering Diversity in the Digital Age

Abstract

Gene bank collections are at a pivotal point in their history. We review their development and explain how their role is changing with new technologies in computation and analytics and the widespread application of whole genome sequencing for characterizing genetic diversity. Development of genomics technologies is likely to significantly alter the way we search for, use, and valorize plant genetic resources (PGR) in the future. The prospect of searching for alleles of agronomic importance is not far off. We review genomics/ sequencing approaches used to catalog genomic variation and their analytical methods useful in describing diversity in PGR. Importantly, we review how population genomics approaches can be used to characterize diverse collection accessions and the way in which genomic data can help provide information on identity, integrity, and population history for samples maintained in gene banks. We explore sampling approaches used to capture variation within and among accessions. We review case studies of diverse crop systems that provide important examples of how genomic data can be used to both provide critical information for agronomic variation for breeders and provide characterization information integral to managing this diversity. Lastly, we describe how gene banks can be positioned more centrally in the ecosystem of breeding and gene discovery projects acting both as a resource of genetic diversity and a consumer data describing of functional variation. These trends are likely to transform gene banks from merely germplasm service providers to interactive biodiversity informatics research centers.