The BBC this month ran a story featuring University of Indiana professors Kevin Livingston and Loren Rieseberg arguing that the recent decoding of the genomes of two closely related rice species is the most important result of genetic research to date — more important, they argue, than the decoding of the human genome.
The genomes of indica, a subspecies of rice that dominates in China, and japonica, which is found in dryer parts of Asia such as Japan, were both recently decoded. Since rice is the most important source of food in the world, providing the staple diet for more than half the world’s population, Livingston and Rieseberg told the BBC that this will have enormous implications for the future of rice and other crops,
Because of the importance of rice and its status as a model for all grasses, these sequences will provide a basis for future genetic improvement of all cereal grains, our most important food resource.
Interestingly, the rice genome is huge, with estimates of more than 50,000 genes. That makes it much larger than the human genome.
The main difference between rice, maize and wheat is not that they have different genes, but rather that they have similar genes that are organized differently. This means that the things learned from the rice genome will also provide scientists with plenty of leads on improving wheat, maize and other crops.
The genomics revolution will almost certainly lead to changes and improvements in food crops that will likely dwarf the effects of past such events such as the Green Revolution.
Source:
Rice code is ‘greatest achievement’. David Whitehouse, The BBC, September 6, 2002.