Kangaroo Rat Genome Project

About the Project

The BCM-HGSC is sequencing the genome of the Ord’s kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ordii). The Ord’s kangaroo rat is primarily a seed eater that inhabits semiarid open grass habitats.

The low-coverage (2x) Sanger sequence of the kangaroo rat was published as a part of the 29 mammals project (Nature). The Broad Institute produced the low coverage assembly. The high-quality draft genome sequence upgraded by the BCM-HGSC using the Illumina technology is being prepared for publication.

The tissue samples used for this sequencing project were kindly provided by Jim Patton at the University of California, Berkeley.

This comparative genomic sequencing effort is aimed at identifying functional elements that are conserved. The kangaroo rat is an outgroup to the common laboratory rodents the rat and the mouse and to the wild deer mouse (Peromyscus). These genomes will be analyzed as a group to understand the biology of the rodent clade and to compare to the sister mammalian clade, the primates.

The project is funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI).

Genomic Resources

Additional Resources

Learn more about Ord’s kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ordii)