TY - JOUR T1 - Chromosome-scale assembly of the lablab genome - A model for inclusive orphan crop genomics JF - bioRxiv DO - 10.1101/2022.05.08.491073 SP - 2022.05.08.491073 AU - Isaac Njaci AU - Bernice Waweru AU - Nadia Kamal AU - Meki Shehabu Muktar AU - David Fisher AU - Heidrun Gundlach AU - Collins Muli AU - Lucy Muthui AU - Mary Maranga AU - Davies Kiambi AU - Brigitte L Maass AU - Peter MF Emmrich AU - Jean-Baka Domelevo Entfellner AU - Manuel Spannagl AU - Mark A Chapman AU - Oluwaseyi Shorinola AU - Chris S Jones Y1 - 2022/01/01 UR - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2022/05/10/2022.05.08.491073.abstract N2 - Orphan crops (also described as underutilised and neglected crops) hold the key to diversified and climate-resilient food systems. After decades of neglect, the genome sequencing of orphan crops is gathering pace, providing the foundations for their accelerated domestication and improvement. Recent attention has however turned to the gross under-representation of researchers in Africa in the genome sequencing efforts of their indigenous orphan crops. Here we report a radically inclusive approach to orphan crop genomics using the case of Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet (syn. Dolichos lablab, or hyacinth bean) – a legume native to Africa and cultivated throughout the tropics for food and forage. Our Africa-led South-North plant genome collaboration produced a high-quality chromosome-scale assembly of the lablab genome – the first chromosome-scale plant genome assembly locally produced in Africa. We also re-sequenced cultivated and wild accessions of lablab from Africa confirming two domestication events and examined the genetic diversity in lablab germplasm conserved in Africa. Our approach provides a valuable resource for lablab improvement and also presents a model that could be explored by other researchers sequencing indigenous crops particularly from Low and middle income countries (LMIC).Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest. ER -