An Integrative Approach to Understanding Natural and Induced Genetic Variation in Soybean.

The soybean community recently reached a new landmark with the publication of the soybean genome sequence. This resource has provided excellent genomic resolution to study the extensive gene duplication and relatively low rates of intraspecific sequence variation in this species. Additionally, the genome sequence has expanded the range of experimental methodologies that can be utilized by soybean researchers. Recently we have integrated next-generation sequencing with other emerging technologies to enable high-resolution mapping of natural and induced genetic varation, including the identification of natural gene copy number variants (CNVs) and present-absent variants (PAVs) within and between different soybean lines. These studies illustrate the manner in which recent genomic advancements are been applied to long-standing questions in the soybean community, while also enabling the development of new hypotheses for the post-genomic era.