About Giant Panda

The giant panda, who takes bamboo as its main dietary and often behave in a kindly style, is a much loved animal all over the world and is considered a symbol of China, as illustrated by its being one of the mascots for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. However, it is also one of the world's most endangered species, a flagship species for conservation. The latest molecular censusing research using fecal samples and nine microsatellite loci shows that the estimated number of wild pandas is about 2,500?3,000, confined to fragmented mountain habitats in Western China because of ecological and anthropogenic pressure.

On October 11th, 2008, Beijing Genomics Institute at Shenzhen (BGI-Shenzhen) announced the completion of first draft genome sequence of a female giant panda named Jingjing, who is 3 years old and chosen from the Chengdu and Wolong breeding centers, using the next-generateion sequencing technology (Illumina GA) and the self-developed short reads assembly method.

We set up this database to present the entire panda genome sequence, as well as the annotation information such as gene structure and functions, non-coding RNAs and repeat elements. The polymorphism information detected in the diploid genome, such as SNPs, Indels, and Structural variations (SV) were also presented. We illustrated the panda genome data in a MapView, which is powered by Google Web Toolkit . A new module was developed to browse large-scale short reads alignment. This module enabled users track detailed divergences between consensus and sequencing reads.

As the first fully sequenced Ursidae and the second Carnivore animal besides dog, the whole genome sequence and annotation data will provide an unparalleled amount of information to aid in understanding the genetic and biological underpinnings of this unique species, and contribute much to the disease control and conservation efforts for this endangered species.