RAD-seq Named Science Magazine ‘Area to Watch’
We are thrilled to announce that genome scans and RAD sequencing have been named an “Area to Watch” in Science magazine’s annual Breakthrough of the Year feature!
Major Recognition
Science magazine, one of the world’s most prestigious scientific publications, has recognized the transformative impact of RAD-seq and genome scan technologies on biological research. This recognition places our work among the most significant scientific developments of the year.
What This Means
The “Areas to Watch” feature highlights technologies and research directions poised to transform their fields. For RAD-seq, this recognition validates:
- The revolutionary impact on population genomics
- Democratization of genomic analysis
- Enabling research in non-model organisms
- Cost-effective large-scale genetic studies
RAD-seq Revolution
The RAD-seq technology developed at UO through collaboration between the Cresko and Johnson labs has:
- Enabled genome-wide studies in any organism
- Reduced costs by orders of magnitude
- Been adopted by thousands of laboratories worldwide
- Transformed evolutionary and conservation genetics
Genome Scans
The ability to scan genomes for signatures of selection has opened new windows into:
- Adaptive evolution in natural populations
- Parallel evolution across independent lineages
- Genetic architecture of complex traits
- Conservation and management applications
Oregon Innovation
This recognition highlights the innovative research environment at the University of Oregon, where collaboration between evolutionary biologists and molecular geneticists has produced tools now used globally.
Looking Forward
This recognition comes as RAD-seq applications continue to expand. We anticipate the technology will continue to enable discoveries across:
- Evolutionary biology
- Conservation genetics
- Agricultural improvement
- Biomedical research
Research Team
This recognition reflects the contributions of many researchers, including:
- Eric Johnson (Institute of Molecular Biology)
- Paul Hohenlohe (now at University of Idaho)
- Nathan Baird
- Angel Amores
- Susan Bassham
- Mark Currey
- William Cresko
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this achievement!