FORGENIUS partners unlock the genetic secrets of Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz
Species diversity is essential for the health of forest ecosystems and even holds the potential to increase their resilience. To safeguard this diversity, monitoring the adaptive potential of different species is crucial. However, unlike widespread species, rare species often lack genomic resources, making this task challenging.
One such example is the wild service tree (Sorbus torminalis L. Crantz), an insect-pollinated and animal-dispersed species native to Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, and north-western Africa. This species carries economic, social, and cultural value, yet genetic studies have so far been limited to a handful of microsatellite markers and the complete chloroplast genome sequence.
Under the European Project FORGENIUS, scientists have assembled and annotated the transcriptome of S. torminalis for the first time. This milestone will enable the exploration of genetic diversity at a genome-wide scale, paving the way for deeper insights into how this species adapts to environmental changes.
