Location: Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research
2018 Annual Report
Accomplishments
1. Genetic maps are widely used in plant breeding and research, in order to determine how genetic markers and genetic traits are localized on chromosomes. Visualizing these relationships requires software for displaying and exploring mapped traits and markers. For more than a decade, the predominant visualization software for this purpose has been CMap – but this was developed using older software visualization methods, and has needed to be rewritten in order to accommodate higher marker densities and new characteristics of genomic data. The CMap-js software, written by ARS researchers in Ames, Iowa, is a complete rewrite of the widely-used CMap software, employing current web technologies. CMap-js is available at https://github.com/LegumeFederation/cmap-js. One example of the software, in-use with genetic and genomic maps for common bean, is available at LegumeInfo (https://legumeinfo.org/cmap-js/?config=cmap.BAT93_x_JALOEEP558_c.json). The CMap-js software is anticipated to replace CMap in hundreds of instances worldwide, and to play an important role in crop genetic improvement, by helping researchers to identify markers for important traits and identify corresponding genetic factors in related species.
