On March 1, the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) announced that it has added the amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii to its list of organisms to be sequenced. The NHGRI, which focuses primarily on human genomics, selects organisms whose genomes should provide valuable comparative data to elucidate properties of the human genome.

A. castellanii joins three other protists already chosen for genomic analysis by this program: the slime mold Physarum polycephalum, the choanoflagellate Monosiga ovata, and the ciliate Oxytricha trifallax.

Interested readers may access the NHGRI press release at http://www.genome.gov/13014443.