This is a pilot project to sequence the genome of H. microstoma. Shotgun sequencing will be performed using 454 pyrosequencing and illumina sequencing. The draft genome will be used to assess levels of polymorphism and to evaluate prospects for further sequencing. The draft will be used for comparative genomics against other tapeworms such as Echinococcus multilocularis and Echinococcus granulosus and as a reference for gene finding using RNA-seq.

This work is being done in collaboration with Dr. Pete Olson from the Natural History Museum.

• The genomes of four tapeworm species reveal adaptations to parasitism.

  Tsai IJ, Zarowiecki M, Holroyd N, Garciarrubio A, Sanchez-Flores A, Brooks KL, Tracey A, Bobes RJ, Fragoso G, Sciutto E, Aslett M, Beasley H, Bennett HM, Cai J, Camicia F, Clark R, Cucher M, De Silva N, Day TA, Deplazes P, Estrada K, Fernández C, Holland PW, Hou J, Hu S, Huckvale T, Hung SS, Kamenetzky L, Keane JA, Kiss F, Koziol U, Lambert O, Liu K, Luo X, Luo Y, Macchiaroli N, Nichol S, Paps J, Parkinson J, Pouchkina-Stantcheva N, Riddiford N, Rosenzvit M, Salinas G, Wasmuth JD, Zamanian M, Zheng Y, Taenia solium Genome Consortium, Cai X, Soberón X, Olson PD, Laclette JP, Brehm K and Berriman M

  Nature 2013;496;7443;57-63

  PUBMED: 23485966; DOI: 10.1038/nature12031