Collaboration with the research group of Prof. Fabio Pinheiro on the genome sequence and annotation of the Neotropical Orchid Epidendrum Fulgens

A new study published in Genome Biology and Evolution presents the first chromosome-scale genome assembly for Epidendrum fulgens and, more broadly, for the megadiverse orchid genus Epidendrum. Using PacBio HiFi and Omni-C sequencing, we reconstructed the approximately 1.17-Gb genome into 12 pseudochromosomes, achieving 97.3% BUSCO completeness, and annotated 30,830 protein-coding genes. Nearly 77% of the genome is composed of transposable elements. Comparative and demographic analyses revealed historical cycles of population expansion and contraction and substantial dynamics of gene-family evolution, including expansions associated with environmental plasticity and stress responses. These findings provide clues to the remarkable ability of E. fulgens to persist in nutrient-poor and environmentally challenging habitats and establish an important new genomic resource for studies of orchid evolution, adaptation, and conservation in the Neotropics. Building on this work, we are now collaborating with other researchers on the sequencing and analysis of additional orchid genomes, expanding our efforts to understand the genomic diversity and evolution of this remarkable plant family.