You Have Been Asked to Consult for a Biotech Company

question 27

Essay

You have been asked to consult for a biotech company that is seeking to understand why some fungi can live in very extreme environments, such as the high temperatures inside naturally occurring hot springs.The company has isolated two different fungal species, F.cattoriae and W.gravinius, both of which can grow at temperatures exceeding 95°C.The company has determined the following things about these fungal species: $$\begin{array} { c c c } \text { Property } & \text { F. cattoriae } & \text { W. gravinius } \\\hline \text { Genome size } & 1 \mathrm { MB } & 3 \mathrm { MB } \\\hline \text { Repetitive DNA? } & \begin{array} { c } 20 \% \text { of genome contains } \\\text { large stretches of CG repeats }\end{array} & < 0.1 \% \text { of genome }\end{array}$$
By sequencing and examining their genomes, the biotech company hopes to understand why these species can live in extreme environments.However, the company only has the resources to sequence one genome, and would like your input as to which species should be sequenced and whether you believe a shotgun strategy will work in this case.(Be sure to explain your answer.)