Sequencing

11th Annual Sequencing, Finishing, and Analysis in the Future Meeting
THE OIL PALM GENOME IN OUR PALMS: THE
IMMEDIATE IMPACT OF THE GENOME SEQUENCE
OF THE WORLD’S MOST IMPORTANT OIL CROP
Friday, 3rd June 11:10 La Fonda Ballroom Invited Speaker (IS‐3)
Nathan Lakey
Orion Genomics, LLC
Nathan Lakey, Rajinder Singh, Meilina Ong‐Abdullah, Eng‐Ti Leslie Low, Rajanaidu Nookiah, Steven W Smith, Jared M
Ordway, Robert A Martienssen and Ravigadevi Sambanthamurthi.
We recently reported 1.535 Gb of assembled sequence and transcriptome data from the African oil
palm, Elaeis guineensis, and the interfertile S. American oil palm, Elaeis oleifera, which diverged in the
new world. The oil palm sequence has already led to the discoveries of the VIR gene, the SHELL gene
and the epigenetic cause of the mantled somaclonal abnormality. VIR is responsible for oil palm fruit
color, and the identification of VIR mutations associated with the virescens fruit color phenotype will
facilitate the development of elite breeding lines with a natural color indicator for fruit ripening.
SHELL is responsible for increased oil yields in tenera hybrids through single gene heterosis. Statistical
sampling of palms in independent planting sites throughout Malaysia suggests that a novel molecular
precision agriculture approach involving SHELL gene testing and culling of non‐tenera (lowperforming)
palms at the nursery stage before field planting will enable the exclusive planting of high
yielding tenera pal This will result in a significant increase in oil yield from existing planted area and
increasing wealth creation among the nation’s poorest farmers. The genome sequence also enabled
epigenome‐wide association studies, which were used to find Karma, a transposon inserted into the
MANTLED gene, whose methylation protects clonal planting materials from floral abnormalities. These
discoveries, and more to come, are already helping to achieve sustainability for the most important oil
crop worldwide.
Speaker’s biographical sketch
Nathan D. Lakey, MBA, is Founding Principal, President & Chief Executive Officer of Orion Genomics,
LLC. Lakey received a BA in Biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from
Washington University St. Louis. Lakey was regionally recognized with the top 40 under 40 award
(2004 St. Louis), presented with the governor's top technology award (2005 Missouri) and currently
serves as chairman of the Investment Advisory Committee, Biogenerator, and Chairman of Orion
Biosains SDN BHD, and serves on the boards of Orion Genomics LLC, Missouri Baptist Hospital, Apse
LLC, EpigenTX, INC, and YourBevCo LLC. Lakey has more than 25 years of experience in genomics, he
was Director of DNA Sequencing at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., helped form Millennium
Predictive Medicine, Millennium Biotherapeutics and Cereon Inc. Before joining Millennium, Lakey
held various positions with Molecular Dynamics, Ambion Inc., and Harvard Medical School,
Department of Genetics, in the laboratory of next generation sequencing pioneer, Professor George M.
Church. Lakey holds numerous issued and pending patents in the US and around the world.
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