Adopting graph-based pangenomics for agronomy and biodiversity studies: current resources and challenges

Abstract

     Pangenomics is transforming the way genomics is done. By using assemblies of multiple complete genomes for the same species, it is possible to depart from a biased, reference-centric, point of view. Represented as graphs, these pangenomes open new paths for genome understanding and improvement of species of agricultural interest. They have, for instance, been used to discover new structural variants linked with traits of interest, and increased the heritability prediction. However, transitioning to a graph-based approach is not straightforward, and many tools are still needed for this shift. While numerous papers present both methodological and applied approaches on pangenomics, and many reviews present advantages of these methods, very few resources outline what remains to be done. In this paper, we would like to list methods that are still required to fully exploit pangenomes, and favor the widespread adoption of this approach.