High-quality chromosome-level genome of the white star apple (Gambeya albida)

30 April 2026

In a recent collaboration, Inqaba Biotec, Malimbe Foundation, the African BioGenome Project (AfricaBP), and IITA (Bioinformatics Unit and Forest Center) successfully produced the first chromosome-scale, annotated genome assembly of the white star apple (Gambeya albida), an iconic indigenous fruit tree of West and Central Africa. This achievement marks a significant step forward for African-led genomics, conservation, and agricultural research.

Scientists from the participating institutions jointly led the genome project. Dr Michael Landi (IITA Nairobi) was responsible for the assembly and annotation, and served as the lead author of the resulting manuscript. Abiodun Lukman Aroworamimo led the Inqaba Biotec in local sequencing services, while Dr Adewale Awoyemi of the IITA Forest Center provided ecological leadership. Dr Andreas Gisel (IITA Ibadan) provided bioinformatics support and access to IITA's Bioinformatics high-performance computing, while Dr ThankGod Echezona Ebenezer guided the work under the AfricaBP ethics and data-governance framework.

The white star apple, known locally as Agbalumo, Udara, Agwaliba, and Alasa, is widely consumed across West and Central Africa, and is valued for its rich vitamin content, medicinal properties, cultural importance, and contribution to household incomes. Despite its economic and cultural relevance, the species has remained genetically under-characterized, limiting opportunities for its enhanced conservation, varietal improvement, and industrial applications. The new genome fills these critical gaps. Using PacBio HiFi long-read sequencing combined with Omni-C scaffolding, we produced an 822 Mbp haploid genome assembled into thirteen chromosomes. This resource provides, for the first time, a comprehensive view of the genetic basis underlying the fruit's nutritional, medicinal, and metabolic properties.

This newly generated genome will support ongoing efforts to conserve the highly sought-after white star apple, which faces threats from habitat loss, overexploitation, and environmental change. It will also enable future research into fruit quality traits, phytochemical pathways, domestication potential, and improved propagation practices. For breeders, nutritionists, conservationists, and policymakers, the genome offers a foundational tool to unlock the species' agricultural and economic potential.

Beyond its scientific value, the project demonstrates the rapidly expanding genomic capabilities within Africa. All the sequencing, assembly, annotation, and validation were conducted using local expertise and infrastructure. The collaboration also highlights strengthened partnerships among African research organizations, enabling high-impact genomic discoveries that directly benefit local communities and ecosystems.

The data have been made publicly available in the NCBI SRA repository, with a preprint accessible at Research Square. The manuscript is currently under peer review in Scientific Data.

Another outcome of this collaboration was the transfer of knowledge gained to 11 early-career African scientists from six countries, including the Benin Republic, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe. This was achieved through a 5-day (2-6 June 2025) workshop organized at the Bioscience in Ibadan, in collaboration with Inqaba Biotec, IITA Forest Center, IITA Bioinformatics Unit, and the AfricaBP. The workshop covered extensive theory, discussions, and hands-on sessions using the IITA's Bioinformatics computing resources and the data from the white star apple project. The eleven beneficiaries were selected through a rigorous fellowship that attracted 260 applicants.

IITA, together with its partners, celebrates this achievement as a landmark contribution to African genomics. The institutions look forward to future collaborations that advance the understanding, conservation, and sustainable use of Africa's plant biodiversity.

Contributed by Andreas Gisel