First Plant Genome Thrills Biologists
By Laura Sivitz
An international team of scientists has published the first nearly complete genetic blueprint of a plant. Now, thale cress—a small weed related to the mustard plant—joins more than 30 bacteria, baker’s yeast, the nematode worm, the fruit fly, and the human in a growing roster of genetically decoded organisms.
Hailed by many as plant biology’s breakthrough of the decade, the unveiling of thale cress’ genome, described in a set of papers in the Dec. 14 Nature, is expected to accelerate the pace of discovery in research fields ranging from molecular medicine to agriculture.