Genome-wide association study bridging genomics-phenomics gap in natural plant populations.

Journal: Journal of applied genetics
Published Date: Sep 18, 2025

Abstract

The planet hosts half a million plant species exhibiting a spectacular diversity of plant forms with genomes driving phenotypic variations. The genome information exists for less than 1% of species, limiting quantitative genomic studies in natural populations. This review explores how recent advances in cutting-edge genomic and phenomic techniques extended genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to wild, non-model species and other natural populations. We also discuss the incorporation of diverse bioinformatic tools into comprehensive in-silico pipelines and recommend implementing machine learning algorithms to address methodological challenges. The critical literature synthesis highlights several scopes of GWAS, bringing natural populations into the spotlight of genomic research. Thus, the study presents GWAS as a cornerstone for advancing quantitative genomics in natural populations. This shift holds great promise for understanding adaptation, trait evolution, and conservation genetics across diverse plant germplasm.

Authors

  • Sarbani Roy
    Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Jadavpur University, India. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • Hari Shankar Gadri
    Molecular Genetics Lab, Department of Botany, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India.
  • Vikas Sharma
    Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
  • Md Asif Chowdhary
    Molecular Genetics Lab, Department of Botany, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India.
  • Rohini Dwivedi
    Molecular Genetics Lab, Department of Botany, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India.
  • Pankaj Bhardwaj
    Molecular Genetics Lab, Department of Botany, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India. [email protected].

Keywords

No keywords available for this article.

External Resources

Popular Topics
Recent Journals