High-throughput Functional Genomics

An effective approach to do genome-wide functional genomics can be provided by the reverse genetics method TILLING (targeting induced local lesions in genomes). It is a general method to identify induced point mutations which can be applied to almost any organism. With this technique not only knock-outs but also partial loss-of-function genes can be created/detected. No transgenic steps are required and it is perfect for breeding. "Ecotilling" is an ideal rapid & cost effective variant for identifying natural nucleotide polymorphisms. The instrument uniquely suited for TILLING & Ecotilling is the DNA Analysis System from LI-COR Biosciences. This system has demonstrated an outstanding performance with the screening of up to 2000 samples and up to 2 million bases in the Arabidopsis genome.