Wheat genetic code sequenced

Largest grown cereal all over the world and decoding its sequence would help scientists to breed better varieties of food staple and lower its prices all across the world. The reason for the delay in analyzing wheat's genetic code, Hall said, scientist at University of Liverpoolwas that the code is so massive — far larger than corn or rice and five times the length of the one carried by humans. One reason for the size is that strains such as the Chinese springwheat analyzed by Hall's team carry six copies of the same gene (most creatures carry two.) Another is that wheat has a tangled ancestry, tracing its descent from three different species of wild grass. Although the code may yet see use by genetic engineers hoping to craft pesticide-resistant strains of wheat, Hall was at pains to stress the conventional applications of his work. Until now, breeders seeking to combine the best traits of two strains of wheat would cross pollinate the pair, grow the hybrid crop and hope for the best.For more information contact coordinator@nthrys.com