Scientists Finally Crack Wheat's
Absurdly Complex Genome
Their efforts will make it much easier to breed new varieties
of the world’s most important crop.
of the world’s most important crop.
The world’s human population relies on wheat for 1/5 of
our species caloric intake. In recent years, there have
been attempts to decode the wheat genome and some grain
counterparts. Despite the popularity of wheat, only now do
we know that it has one of the most complex genomes! Not
only does wheat have 16 billion DNA letters, but it also
consists of 85% repetitive sequences. Wheat has an
especially unique genome because it is a hexaploid
genome. The complexity of wheat’s genome is amazing,
but also lends for many challenges if scientists were to
interact or change any sequences. Because wheat is such
an important food staple to humanity, scientists could theoretically alter wheat’s genome to be safe for people with
dietary restrictions against wheat. Scientists could also alter the genome to better handle certain environmental
pressures on a specific crop. Implementation of genome altered crops will take a long time, but for now we can still
benefit from the genetic code of wheat!
Kristin Carline
Potluck for 4 February 2020
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