Barley genome breakthrough key to better beer
A team from Scotland’s James Hutton Institute and The Genome Analysis Centre in Norwich today published a fully mapped draft of the barley genome, in the science journal Nature.
The team’s research will help lead to the production of new and better varieties of barley, which is the world’s fourth most important cereal crop both in terms of area of cultivation and in quantity of grain produced.
With 32,000 genes, the barley genome is almost twice the size of that of the human genome.
Professor Robbie Waugh, representing James Hutton Institute, explained, “Access to the assembled catalogue of gene sequences will streamline efforts to improve barley production through breeding for varieties better able to withstand pests and disease and deal with adverse environmental conditions such as drought and heat stress.
“It will accelerate research in barley, and its close relative, wheat. Armed with this information breeders and scientists will be much better placed to deal with the challenge of effectively addressing the food security agenda under the constraints of a rapidly changing environment.”
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. “Barley genome could hold key to better beer.” ScienceDaily, 17 Oct. 2012. Web. 17 Oct. 2012.
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