Wood Hole Oceanographic Institution to develop breeding program for sugar kelp

In Massachusetts, researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution will develop a breeding program for sugar kelp–Saccharina latissima, one of the most commercially important species–using the latest gene sequencing and genomic resources for faster, more accurate and efficient selective breeding thanks to a $3.7 million ARPA-E grant. The breeding program will build a library of genetic resources associated with plant traits that produce a 20 to to 30 percent improvement over wild plants. The team expects to develop novel genomic tools that will accelerate the production of improved plants while decreasing the need for costly offshore field evaluations.