Tim Fallon

Tim Fallon

Cambridge, MA

Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and MIT

PhD Student

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protocolsequencing
Published on Oct 17, 2018

Dear Firefly Genome Fans,

Dear Firefly Genome Fans,It's been 9 months 23 days since our last update to you, but rest assured, team bioluminescent beetles has been busy! We'd like to share our most exciting piece of recent ...

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Published on Dec 23, 2017

Firefly genome(s) now available!

Dear Firefly Genome Fans,Season's greetings! Team Firefly is happy to announce the release of the data and analyses for your genome project to sequence the Big Dipper Firefly, Photinus pyralis.  An...

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Published on Apr 25, 2017

First poster presented on firefly genome progress

Dear firefly genome supporters,Hello from Taiwan!  Where your author is currently attending the International Firefly Symposium 2017 (http://www.ifs2017taipei.org), in Taipei, Taiwan.  Team Firefly...

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Published on Nov 18, 2016

Firefly genome update: Mitochondrial genome deciphered!

Dear firefly genome fans,Happy Friday!  To celebrate, team firefly would like to share our latest progress on the firefly genome with you. In our last lab note, we took our first look at the real d...

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Published on Oct 28, 2016

Good News! PacBio long-read sequencing data received

Dear firefly genome fans,Happy Friday!  In addition to that excellent news, we have some other news we thought you might enjoy as well! We’ve just received the firefly genome sequence data back fro...

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Published on Sep 01, 2016

How does one extract high-molecular-weight firefly DNA?

In order to sequence the firefly genome, we first needed to extract high-molecular-weight firefly DNA (aka super long DNA).  But how does one achieve such a feat?See below for some pics of the proc...

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Published on Aug 30, 2016

DNA submitted for sequencing!

Dear firefly genome fans, I have good news!  High molecular weight DNA has been successfully extracted from fireflies and has been submitted for sequencing on the Pacific Biosciences RSII instrume...

protocol
sequencing
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Published on May 29, 2016

93%! Coming in to the finish line.

Wow! Thanks to some extremely generous donations, we've made it to 93%, closer than ever to successful funding of the sequencing of the firefly genome! But remember, we only get the funds if we rea...

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Published on May 24, 2016

66%! The final stretch. And a new backer benefit

We've had an amazing set of generous donations that have pushed the Firefly Genome Project closer and closer to our $10K goal. We've just reached 66%, meaning we are 2/3rds of the way there!With 9...

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Thanks very much Joshua!
Apr 27, 2017
Illuminating the firefly genome
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Hi Joe, no I didn't expect I'd be attending the firefly symposium, but I'm very glad that I did! Taiwan has the "firefly fever" and our hosts have been extremely gracious to us at every stage. It has been a very special experience, and there is still one more day! Re Genome company: Not sure what you mean? Maybe we could talk more offline.
Apr 27, 2017
Illuminating the firefly genome
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More food than we can handle!! It's been a real treat.
Apr 27, 2017
Illuminating the firefly genome
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Hi Misha, at this stage, the gene models are still in flux, so sequence data will be released alongside the manuscript when they are more polished.
Apr 26, 2017
Illuminating the firefly genome
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Hi Misha, Yes! The Ppyr Luc2 is orthologous to the previously described Luc2 in Luciola & Photuris.
Apr 25, 2017
Illuminating the firefly genome
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Thanks! We try : )
Nov 18, 2016
Illuminating the firefly genome
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Thanks Luis! Good luck to team earthworm as well. I see you're very close! Good luck!
May 27, 2016
Illuminating the firefly genome
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Will keep my eye out for D. longa. I'll be collecting fireflies in the south over the summer where their range is. If you have live / reasonably preserved A. lingra specimens, I'd be happy to do high-resolution accurate-mass LC/MS to see if they possess either D. longa or F. heliota luciferin. Long story short, in reading up on what is known on earthworm bioluminescence I've become intruiged by the all the bioluminescent diversity in earthworms! Mostly uncharacterized it seems.
May 25, 2016
Untangling the Volcanic Earthworm Genome
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Interesting! I haven't run across any bioluminescent earthworms, though I'd love to study them. Might I ask what species you have a transcriptome for? Is it closely related to Fridericia heliota or Diplocardia longa?
May 25, 2016
Untangling the Volcanic Earthworm Genome
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Good luck Team Earthworm! Keep up that momentum : ) Once you establish the first reference earthworm genome, I say you should go for the bioluminescent earthworm genome!
May 24, 2016
Untangling the Volcanic Earthworm Genome
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Hi Misha, sorry for the late reply. I received the email on this comment but was unable to track down exactly where it was... For other fireflies, if people really want to they could use the P.pyralis genome to scaffold, but beware as indeed there is no guarantee that genomic structural organization is well conserved in fireflies. Data on the firefly repeats from the P.pyralis genome could be beneficial for assembly by enabling masking. The genome size is a definite issue. Sarah Sander has data to demonstrate there is large (very large) variation in firefly genome sizes (luckily P.pyralis is smallest!), I'd touch base with her if you are curious about a particular species. I think the biggest benefit of a P.pyralis genome will be to serve as reference to help evaluate how other firefly correct assemblies are at a local scale (as relatively minor changes in assembly procedure can drastically affect final assembly results)
May 23, 2016
Illuminating the firefly genome
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Thank you Cindy! We appreciate your support
May 11, 2016
Illuminating the firefly genome
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