Beyond the Blind Spots: New Tools for Assembling and Reading the Multiome

Some of the most interesting biology in a genome sits in the regions that are hardest to sequence.

Repetitive stretches. Transposon-rich blocks. Structural variants that don't resolve cleanly with short reads. In crop and animal breeding, those regions often carry the traits that matter most, and they're precisely where standard assemblies fall short.

This session walks through an integrated workflow that closes those gaps. Long-read assembly and optical mapping to resolve the structure. Methylation sequencing to reveal which transposable elements are actually active across a breeding population. And single-cell and spatial multiomics to show which cell types and tissue regions turn that activity into function.

One reference genome, three complementary layers, and a workflow that turns structural resolution into a tool for tracking evolution and trait discovery.

On the program

01. Long-read assembly & optical mapping
Sequencing through repetitive, transposon-rich regions and confirming structure.

02. Methylation sequencing across a population
Revealing which transposable elements are active in a breeding population.

03. Single-cell & spatial multiomics
From genome structure to functional, cell-level consequence.

Speakers & hosts

Pieter van As, Twist Bioscience
Scott Coutts, joining online
Jessie Chang, Decode Science

Details

📅 23rd Sep
🕐 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
📍 Whare Auaha, Room 018, Waimarie Building, Lincoln University
🍽 Lunch provided

Also joinable online via Microsoft Teams. Teams link and joining details will be shared with registered online attendees.

Who this is for

Plant and animal breeders, quantitative geneticists, crop scientists, agricultural genomics researchers, and core facility staff working with reference genomes, structural variants, or trait mapping across populations. Postgraduate students and ECRs in these areas are welcome.

Please register

Limited Seats in the room, so registration is essential for in-person attendance. It also helps us cater lunch and note your dietary requirements.

Online attendees please register too so we can send the Teams joining link.

Questions?

Reach out to Jessie and Scott at Decode Science - support@decodescience.co.nz

Contact the host of Lincoln University - Lunch & Learn