India's first fully annotated telomere-to-telomere (T2T) reference genome : GS TIMES IAS-PCS

Why in News?

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed India’s first fully annotated Telomere-to-Telomere (T2T) reference genome of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp.) variety ‘Asha’.

Pigeonpea, popularly known as Arhar or Tur, is one of India’s major pulse crops and an important source of dietary protein, contributing significantly to the country’s food and nutritional security.

India’s Progress in Pigeonpea Genomics

The achievement builds on pioneering research by the ICAR–National Institute for Plant Biotechnology (NIPB), New Delhi.

2011: NIPB published the world’s first draft genome of a pulse crop, pigeonpea variety ‘Asha’.
It was also the first crop genome to be sequenced entirely in India.
2017: An improved version of the draft genome was published.
2026: The complete Telomere-to-Telomere (T2T) genome sequence of ‘Asha’ has now been developed.

What is a Telomere-to-Telomere (T2T) Genome?

A T2T genome provides an almost complete DNA sequence of a chromosome from one telomere (end) to the other. Compared with conventional draft genomes, a T2T assembly provides a much more complete and accurate representation of the genome, including previously difficult-to-sequence regions.

Key Features of the Pigeonpea T2T Genome