Pinot Noir Grape genome sequenced
Researchers from the Istituto Agrario San Michele all'Adige and Myriad Genetics have  sequenced and assembled the genome of the grape species Pinot Noir, the  red wine grape from the species Vitis vinifera that is one of the most popular varietals in the world. The red grape is chiefly associated with the Burgundy region of France, but is also widely grown in many regions throughout the world. The Grapevine Genome Initiative was established with the aim of accelerating the breeding of this difficult perennial species. The Pinot Noir genome sequence could, for example, aid growers in the breeding of  grapes for resistance against aggressive micro-organisms — which are currently controlled by massive use of agrochemicals — without altering wine quality. The researchers used sequence data generated using a Genome Sequencer 20 system from 454 Life Sciences. Ref. Vezzulli, S et al. Theor Appl Genet. epub 2008 May 27.

First Complete genome of an individual
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have published the complete DNA sequence and analysis of an individual human diploid genome (and not just any individual — the person was Dr JD Watson, co-discoverer of the structure of DNA). The genome was analysed to 7.4 redundancy, facilitating a detailed comparison against the publicly available reference human genome. As the researchers point out, the association of genetic variation with disease and drug response, and improvements in nucleic acid technologies, have given great optimism for the impact of 'genomic medicine'. However, the formidable size of the diploid human genome, approximately 6 gigabases, has until now prevented the routine application of sequencing methods to deciphering complete individual human genomes. The extent to which this limitation has been overcome can be seen from the fact that the sequence was completed in only two months using massively parallel sequencing systems (454 Life Sciences) in picolitre-size reaction vessels at approximately one-hundredth of the cost of traditional capillary electrophoresis methods.   
Dr Watson, after consultation with a genetic counsellor, chose to make the sequence data publicly available, omitting only the Apo E gene and the neighbouring sequence associated with Alzheimer’s Disease. The sequence data have since been available online to researchers worldwide at
www.jimwatsonsequence.cshl.edu.
Ref.  Wheeler, DA et al. Nature 2008 Apr 17; 452(7189): 872-6.

Characterisation of protective intestinal flora
The diversity of species in the intestinal flora is imperative for the maintenance of our health. Any instability can lead to the development of various intestinal diseases such as antibiotic-associated intestinal inflammations e.g., Morbus Crohn or Colitis Ulcerosa. It has been estimated that up to 40000 different species of bacteria can be found in the human intestinal flora, with each individual carrying up to 500 different species for a total of 1013 - 1014 micro-organism cells in their intestine. The characterisation of the majority of these bacterial species has not been possible in the past. However, the latest ultra-fast sequencing technologies have the potential to solve this problem. A new research study at the University of Graz, Austria, has been set up to use modern sequencing technology (next generation sequencing with the Genome Sequencer FLX System from Roche) to characterise the protective composition of the intestinal flora,  using Clostridium difficile as an initial model system.