Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera). Photo credit: Maurice Roper.

The genome and transcriptome sequences of Macrocystis pyrifera CI_03 were not determined by the Joint Genome Institute (JGI). The genome was sequenced with PacBio, and then assembled by Sergey Nuzhdin's lab at the University of Southern California. Published RNAseq datasets from NCBI were assembled with Trinity. In addition, a second RNAseq dataset of the gametophyte development stages was provided by Filipe Alberto's lab and assembled with Trinity. Subsequently, the JGI Annotation Pipeline was used to generate structural and functional annotations.

Macrocystis pyrifera (giant kelp) is one of the fastest growing organisms on the planet and can grow up to 60cm a day in optimal conditions. This high growth rate coupled with its high polysaccharide content makes it an optimal crop for the production of biofuel. Giant kelp is also used as an animal feed supplement and as a fertilizer. Giant kelp produces bio-active compounds that are targets for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. Additionally, giant kelp is the keystone species of kelp forests, complex and diverse ecosystems harboring everything from small invertebrates to big mammals.