The overall aim of the project is to improve knowledge and develop an experimental skill in the field of eukaryotic genome organization and functions, in particular of heterochromatic and centromeric regions composed of repetitive, non-coding DNA. This part of the genome seems to play a role in genome evolution and speciation. In addition a numerous regulatory signals important for the temporal and developmental control of gene expression reside within it. The project will include partial cloning and sequence assembly of heterochromatic DNA in Tribolium castaneum, an insect of economic importance, aimed to complement the data obtained by the genome sequencing project. Introduction of bioinformatics tools necessary for the survey of the whole genomes will enable additional systematic and thorough characterization of tandemly repeated satellite DNAs and study of their evolutional relation and history.