Ectocarpus is a genus of filamentous brown alga that includes a model organism for the genomics of multicellularity. Among possible model organisms in the brown algae, Ectocarpus was selected for the relatively small size of its mature thallus and the speed with which it completes its life cycle. Tools available for Ectocarpus as a model species include a high quality genome sequence and both forward and reverse genetic methodologies, the latter based on CRISPR-Cas9.

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