Chromosome-level genome assembly of the gerbera (Gerbera hybrida) using HiFi long-read and Hi-C technologies

Gerbera hybrida is one of the most popular ornamental plants and also serves as a valuable model plant within the Asteraceae family. Here, we report both the nuclear and organellar genome assemblies and annotations of G. hybrida, which was developed through hybridization of two wild species. Sequencing was performed using a combination of PacBio high fidelity (HiFi) reads and chromatin capture reads (Omni-C). The total span of the nuclear genome assembly is 2.32 gigabases, and 99.3% of the sequence assembled into 25 scaffolds, consistent with the known chromosome number. Genome annotation of the nuclear genome identified 36,160 protein-coding genes and 11,572 non-coding transcripts. The mitochondrial genome had 363,511 bp and contains 36 protein-coding genes, 3 rRNAs, and 21 tRNAs, while the chloroplast genome is 151,898 bp in length and includes 85 protein-coding genes, 8 rRNAs, and 37 tRNAs. This reference genome provides a foundational resource for future molecular breeding and genetic research in Gerbera and the broader Asteraceae family.