The long - term goal of this program is to understand the structure, organization and
function of plant genomes important to agriculture, the environment, energy and health.
These small, mobile and virus - like DNA elements have been a part
of plant genomes for millions of years and most of the time they lie dormant and do no harm.
New Impulses for European Plant Genome Research Co-operation between France and Germany in the
field of plant genome research offers opportunities for cross-border research.
Even more surprising, these
bits of plant genome may have health consequences, suggesting that some biomolecules can remain active even after digestion.
In its 25 April 2008 issue, Science explores how current
knowledge of plant genomes is lending insights to investigations from biochemistry to ecosystems.
NSF had received proposals from more than 60 institutions as part
of a plant genome initiative, added to its 1998 budget by Senator Christopher Bond (R - MO) to expand NSF - funded plant genome research to include crop plants.
In a paper published today in Science, a team led by CSHL Professor and HHMI Investigator Robert Martienssen and Professor Jean - François Couture of the University of Ottawa announces that they have solved the mystery, exploiting unique
aspects of plant genomes.
By comparing the genomes of flood - tolerant plants, the researchers were able to pin down the resistance to a particular
region of the plant genome, which they dubbed Submergence 2.
Researchers working at the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization in Japan have found that epigenetic tags, such as methyl groups, on some
areas of the plant genome can cause interference with gene editors and reduce their efficiency.
In the lab, he and colleagues exploit the natural
diversity of plant genomes to identify sets of genes and single genes responsible for genetic variation.
We are investigating these and other allied questions using evolutionary genomic approaches, by performing comparative
analyses of plant genomes, transcriptomes and proteomes.