News from the John Innes Centre

The genome of Medicago, a close relative of alfalfa and a long-established model for the study of legume biology, has been sequenced by an international team of scientists, capturing around 94 per cent of its genes. The research gives new insights into the evolution of the Papilionoid subfamily of legumes, which includes peas, soybean and [...]

An international team of scientists, funded in the UK by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC),has sequenced the genome of a Chinese cabbage type of Brassica rapa, a close relative of oilseed rape. The research, which is published today (28 August) in the journal Nature Genetics, could help improve the efficiency of oilseed rape [...]

A few grass species provide the bulk of our food supply and new grass crops are being domesticated for sustainable energy and feedstock production. However there are significant barriers limiting crop improvement, such as a lack of knowledge of gene function and their large and complex genomes. Now, in the 11 February issue of Nature, [...]