Daily Archives: April 3, 2014

A gnome dies every time you don #39;t share this! Fungal disease threatens Gnome Colonies
Scientists succeed in mapping the Genome of the Garden Gnome but is it too late for the UK #39;s Gnome colonies? Embargoed: 00.01 April 1st 2014 (Editor #39;s note: ...

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A gnome dies every time you don't share this! Fungal disease threatens Gnome Colonies - Video

Human Genome Part 1

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Human Genome Part 1 - Video

Genome Sequencing Brings Hope to La Jolla Teen
The mapping of the human genome has opened up a world of possibilities. It #39;s believed that someday, doctors could use a patient #39;s genetic information to come...

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Genome Sequencing Brings Hope to La Jolla Teen - Video

Mlchael Desai - Genome Dynamics in Experimental Evolution
PROGRAM: School and Discussion Meeting on Population Genetics and Evolution PROGRAM LINK: http://www.icts.res.in/program/PGE2014 DATES: Saturday 15 Feb, 2014...

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Mlchael Desai - Genome Dynamics in Experimental Evolution - Video

The International Peanut Genome Initiative -- a group of multinational crop geneticists who have been working in tandem for the last several years -- has successfully sequenced the peanut's genome.

Scott Jackson, director of the University of Georgia Center for Applied Genetic Technologies in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, serves as chair of the International Peanut Genome Initiative, or IPGI.

The new peanut genome sequence will be available to researchers and plant breeders across the globe to aid in the breeding of more productive and more resilient peanut varieties.

Peanut, known scientifically as Arachis hypogaea and also called groundnut, is important both commercially and nutritionally. While the oil- and protein-rich legume is seen as a cash crop in the developed world, it remains a valuable sustenance crop in developing nations.

"The peanut crop is important in the United States, but it's very important for developing nations as well," Jackson said. "In many areas, it is a primary calorie source for families and a cash crop for farmers."

Globally, farmers tend about 24 million hectares of peanuts each year and produce about 40 million metric tons.

"Improving peanut varieties to be more drought-, insect- and disease-resistant can help farmers in developed nations produce more peanuts with fewer pesticides and other chemicals and help farmers in developing nations feed their families and build more secure livelihoods," said plant geneticist Rajeev Varshney of the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics in India, who serves on the IPGI.

The effort to sequence the peanut genome has been underway for several years. While peanuts were successfully bred for intensive cultivation for thousands of years, relatively little was known about the legume's genetic structure because of its complexity, according to Peggy Ozias-Akins, a plant geneticist on the UGA Tifton campus who also works with the IPGI and is director of the UGA Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics.

"Until now, we've bred peanuts relatively blindly, as compared to other crops," said IPGI plant geneticist David Bertioli of the Universidade de Braslia. "We've had less information to work with than we do with many crops, which have been more thoroughly researched and understood."

The peanut in fields today is the result of a natural cross between two wild species, Arachis duranensis and Arachis ipaensis, which occurred in north Argentina between 4,000 and 6,000 years ago. Because its ancestors were two different species, today's peanut is a polyploid, meaning the species can carry two separate genomes, designated A and B subgenomes.

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First peanut genome sequenced

April Flowers for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

Peanuts are seemingly everywhere in the US. From cooking oils to candy bars, peanuts are a part of our lives, and a big business. And now, for the first time, a multinational group of crop geneticists has sequenced the peanut genome.

The researchers are from the International Peanut Genome Initiative (IPGI), led by Scott Jackson, who serves as chair of the IPGI. Jackson is also the director of the University of Georgia Center for Applied Genetic Technologies in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

The peanut (Arachis hypogaea), also called the groundnut, is an important global crop. In the developed world, it is viewed as a cash crop, while in developing countries it is a valuable sustenance crop. Approximately 24 million hectares of peanuts are farmed each year around the world, producing around 40 million metric tons of the oil-and protein-rich legume.

The peanut crop is important in the United States, but its very important for developing nations as well, Jackson said. In many areas, it is a primary calorie source for families and a cash crop for farmers.

The IPGI team plans to make the genome sequence available to other researchers and plant breeders to help in developing more productive and more resilient plant varieties.

Improving peanut varieties to be more drought-, insect- and disease-resistant can help farmers in developed nations produce more peanuts with fewer pesticides and other chemicals and help farmers in developing nations feed their families and build more secure livelihoods, said plant geneticist Rajeev Varshney of the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics in India, who serves on the IPGI.

The researchers have been working to sequence the peanut genome for several years. The peanut has been bred for intensive cultivation for thousands of years, but genetically it was relatively unknown. According to Peggy Ozias-Akins, a plant geneticist on the UGA Tifton campus who also works with the IPGI and is director of the UGA Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, this is because the peanuts genetic structure is very complex.

Until now, weve bred peanuts relatively blindly, as compared to other crops, said IPGI plant geneticist David Bertioli of the Universidade de Braslia. Weve had less information to work with than we do with many crops, which have been more thoroughly researched and understood.

The reason for the complexity is that the current crop of peanuts is the result of a natural cross between two completely separate wild speciesArachis duranensis and Arachis ipaensis. This cross happened in northern Argentina between 4,000 and 6,000 years ago. Todays peanut is a polyploid, which means that the species can carry two separate genomes. The scientists designate these as A and B subgenomes.

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Geneticists Map Genome Of An Important Global Crop: The Peanut