A milestone in Chilean science: the genome of Araucaria araucana is sequenced, which will help manage its risk of extinction

Joint work between CMPC and Universidad de Concepción (UdeC) in the past two years allowed discovering a large portion of its genetic code in an alliance that also involved US centers.

“From a genetic perspective, it is the most important study in recent years of a Chilean native species,” stated Verónica Emhart, Assistant Manager of Forestry Improvement of CMPC.

Perhaps not many people know what a genome is, but beyond the technicality, it is essential to know that its detection is a great step forward in being able to preserve and restore species, especially those most compromised. Specifically, a genome is the total genetic material of a particular organism or species, and sequencing is a technology that allows knowing and deciphering the genetic code (full DNA sequence) that all organisms have. In this context, Chilean science recently achieved a relevant milestone regarding a Chilean native species, the Araucaria araucana, at risk of extinction.

The genome of this species was sequenced as a result of an alliance between CMPC and the Laboratory of Vegetable Epigenetics, led by Doctor of Biology Rodrigo Hasbún (Universidad de Concepción, Chile), and the Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I²SysBio), represented by Dr. Tomás Matus (Universidad de Valencia). 

But what does this mean in practice? “Reference genomes and the genomic data of populations can help to improve strategies for monitoring, conservation and restoration of biodiversity, making these projects more effective in the long term,” explained Verónica Emhart, Assistant Manager of Forestry Improvement of CMPC. “From a genetic perspective, it is the most important study in recent years because it allows having the genetic code in a single platform, in full, not partially, and public,” she noted. 

“Although we are still working on an improved version of the assembly, the genome’s sequence and the position of an important part of its genes will be displayed in a database we are creating in collaboration with the Institute for Integrative Systems Biology in Spain,” said the Doctor of Biology of Universidad de Oviedo and UdeC Forestry Engineer Rodrigo Hasbún.

More reactions: scientific milestone in Yumbel

A milestone was held this Tuesday, September 10th at the Carlos Douglas nursery in Yumbel in which CMPC and UdeC shared this great discovery with the scientific and academic world and the media.

“We are giving it the importance that collaboration with a company like CMPC has, with whom we maintain a strategic alliance in various areas. And this is an area that doesn’t just pursue an economic development goal but also seeks a scientific and technological study around the development of biodiversity and the analysis of sustainability,” specified Andrea Rodríguez, Research and Development Vice-Rector of Universidad de Concepción. 

“CMPC’s task is to work for the conservation of nature, and we have been doing that for quite some time, with our work with the Toromiro (Sophora toromiro), a tree from Easter Island whose recovery we have been working on, and also with the Pitao to generate this biological corridor in the municipality of Nacimiento, and now the Araucaria,” remarked Ignacio Lira, Corporate Affairs Manager of CMPC.