Instituto Tecnológico Vale advances Amazonian genetic research

Researchers at the Instituto Tecnológico Vale (ITV) have presented new findings regarding the genetic mapping of key Amazonian species, specifically focusing on the açaí palm. The study aims to advance the regional bioeconomy by combining traditional ecological knowledge with advanced genetic sequencing technologies.

Using a proprietary bioinformatics tool called Pipeasm, the research team successfully produced chromosomal-level reference genomes for three palm species: açaí-de-touceira (Euterpe oleracea), açaí-solteiro (Euterpe precatoria), and juçara (Euterpe edulis). The implementation of this technology significantly optimized the process, reducing the time required to process each genome from approximately two weeks to roughly three days.