Apple as a Model for Genomic Information Exchange

Apple is one of the most famous fruits globally and occupies a central position in folklore, culture, and art. Apple cultivars have retained high genetic and phenotypic diversity, evidenced by the high number of apple varieties cultivated today. The economic and cultural importance of apple has driven efforts to catalogue and exploit this genetic diversity, but few of these data are currently integrated into ELIXIR resources. We propose a data implementation study to integrate the high quality apple reference genome and its associated catalogue of genetic diversity, representing the most widely cultivated apple varieties around the world. We will use apple as a case study for managing the growing number of ‘multi-genome’ fruit projects, testing and where necessary, improving tools to streamline data import and exchange between ELIXIR supported resources, specifically BioSamples, ENA, EVA, ORCAE and Ensembl Plants.