The BeetSeq consortium encompasses two academic partners (Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin; Bielefeld University) and three industry partners (KWS SAAT AG; Strube Research; Syngenta).

BeetSeq has several aims, first, completion of a BAC based physical map of the sugar beet genome, initiated during the GABI Beet Physical Map project, second, the generation of an end-sequenced resource of sugar beet fosmid clones, third, the generation of transcriptome data sets for several sugar beet accessions, chard, fodder beet, and wild beet, and fourth, the generation and annotation of the ~800 Mbp sugar beet genome sequence.

A genome sequence for sugar beet is needed to fully exploit the species' value for evolutionary genomics and as a crop plant. Presently, the completed genomes of representatives of six different genera of flowering plants are available, i.e. from Arabidopsis, poplar, grapevine, papaya, sorghum and rice. Sequencing of other genomes from crops and evolutionary model species is under way. Since sugar beet is not a close relative to one of these taxa, its genome sequence will provide essential new information on plant genome evolution. Being aware of the intraspecific variation between sugar beet accessions we focus on the double haploid line KWS2320. Many resources are already available for this genotype, including BAC clone contigs, BAC end sequences, cDNA sequences, and genetic markers, generated in former GABI funded projects.

The data generation strategy of BeetSeq combines sequencing using dideoxy terminator chemistry (Sanger sequencing) with the utilization of next-generation sequencing platforms (Solexa sequencing, 454 pyrosequencing). Data are generated from sequencing BAC pools, fosmid ends, transcript sequencing, and whole-genome shotgun.

Long-range continuity of the genome assembly will be established by the integration of Sanger end sequences from BAC clones and fosmids, as well as paired-end reads generated with next-generation sequencing technologies.

As project outcome, we expect a sequence draft of high scientific and application-oriented impact. Scientific relevance will encompass the analysis of plant genome evolution, candidate gene identification for traits under study, development of new genetic markers, studies of the sugar beet genome structure, and sequence-based comparison of different Beta vulgaris accessions. The academic groups perform experimental work, data analysis and interpretation. The industry partners contribute plant material and monitor the project progress to ensure the rapid conversion from data into applications and products