A Study by Division of EcoScience Was Published in a Globally Prestigious Data Science Journal
- Date2024.02.07
- 16646
(From the left) Ph.D. student Haena Kwak, Dr. Damin Lee, and Professor Joong-Ki Park
Ph.D. student Haena Kwak and a postdoctoral researcher Damin Lee (Adviser: Professor Joong-Ki Park) at the Division of EcoScience became the world’s first researchers to unveil the sequences of Ellobium chinense’s genome and transcriptome. Their study about the population genomic analysis of Ellobium chinense, titled “Genome assembly and population genomic data of a pulmonate snail Ellobium chinense,” was published in the January edition of Scientific Data (IF=9.8), one of the most prestigious academic journals in the data science field.
The team of Haena Kwak, Damin Lee, and Professor Joong-Ki Park revealed a draft genome assembly of Ellobium chinense comprising approximately 28,000 genes. Based on that genomic data, the team conducted comparative genomic analyses with allied species inhabiting different environments (e.g., marine, freshwater, and terrestrial) and found the genomic basis of adaptation to brackish water environments where salinity level changes constantly and dryness persists. The team also conducted population genomic analyses for populations in Asian regions, including Korea, Japan, and China, to find the causes of demographic changes during the glacial-interglacial cycles, which are valuable resources for drawing up measures for the conservation of Ellobium chinense, an endangered species, and its genetic diversity. The team led by Professor Joong-Ki received the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Award of the 16th Jang Bogo Award in 2022 for unveiling the genome sequences of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins and Apostichopus japonicus, which are marine species designated as the protected species.