Researchers may complete a sequencing of the notoriously complex genome of bread wheat in two years, rather than the four or five years that was expected, says Country Guide. The International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium announced it has produced a genome assembly for Chinese Spring bread wheat. The assembly “represents a major breakthrough for the IWGSC integrated strategy towards delivering a high-quality reference sequence for each of the 21 bread wheat chromosomes,” said project leader Nils Stein, of the German plant research center IPK Gatersleben.
The consortium’s strategy is to study wheat chromosomes one at a time. The Chinese Spring wheat assembly was charted using a combination of software, computer programming and bioinformatics tool. “The consortium now expects to have a complete picture of the wheat genome, 17 billion base pairs in all, with a clear idea of how the genes are ordered, within two years,” said Country Guide. With a genetic blueprint, wheat breeders will have an easier job of developing strains with desirable traits.
“Wheat is the staple food for more than 35% of the global human population and accounts for 20% of all calories consumed throughout the world,” says the consortium.