New genome study rewrites the early history of grasses, the world's most important plant family
Scientists have sequenced the genome of the tropical grass Streptochaeta spicata to better understand the evolutionary history of the grass family. This research provides insights into the ancestral traits of essential food crops like rice, wheat, and maize.
Why it matters
Understanding the genetic evolution of grasses is critical for improving food security and agricultural sustainability.
edited by Sadie Harley , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add as preferred source Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain An international team of scientists, including Donald Danforth Plant Science Center member emerita Elizabeth "Toby" Kellogg, Ph.D., has produced a chromosome-level genome assembly that offers a new view of the earliest evolution of grasses, the plant family that includes many of the world's most important food crops.
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