April 17, 2000 / from a press release
ST. LOUIS -- Recent announcements regarding significant breakthroughs in
human and rice genomics provide a major boost for corn genome research, the
National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) said this week.
Since 1996, funding plant genomic research -- a process that determines the
genetic makeup of the plant, in this case corn -- has been the number one
appropriations priority for the NCGA. It is hoped that this checkoff-funded
program will open the doors for the development of improved corn hybrids
that are more nutritious, provide greater yields and are more adaptable to
seasons, climates and soils.
Earlier this month, Monsanto announced a major scientific breakthrough in
decoding the genetic makeup of rice that according to Monsanto "will provide
a new level of understanding of almost all the genes in rice." Similarly,
Celera Genomics of Rockville, Md., announced this month that it has
completed the sequencing phase of a human's genome. Both of these
breakthroughs involve a "shotgun" or shortcut sequencing technique that
identifies nearly all of the genes in rice and human organisms.
"The human genome breakthrough will prove validity of the shotgun approach
to sequencing, particularly the validity as it applies to very complex
organisms such as humans. Corn is estimated to be as complex," said Floyd
Schultz, a grower from Plainfield, Ill., and chairman of the NCGA Customer &
Business Development Action Team. "Things that we can learn from humans
will help us advance significantly in corn."
Schultz noted that every advancement that has occurred to date in human
genome research has been applied to the plant level with some success,
through the Plant Genome Initiative.
"The human effort has significantly driven the plant effort, and plant
research has helped to drive the human effort," he noted.
The rice breakthrough is also significant in boosting corn genomic research,
Schultz said.
"Similar to corn, rice is a grass, so we're much closer to applicability to
corn," he explained. "Rice is certainly not as complicated as corn, but
with the working draft now available, it's going to jumpstart a major
project under the Plant Genome Initiative that involves locating significant
genes in rice and using them to locate key corn genes. This comparative
genomics will be quite significant."
All of these advances will allow researchers to continue to make strides in
genomic research involving all economical crops, such as corn.
In recent testimony to the U.S. House Subcommittee on VA, HUD and
Independent Agencies on Appropriations, Boyd Smith of York, Neb., outlined
the importance of plant genomics.
"We strongly urge you to provide not less than $80 million for the National
Science Foundation (NSF) Plant Genome Initiative (PGI) and $25.5 million for
the '2010 Project,' the functional genomics project for Arabidopsis
thaliana," Smith said.
Smith noted that a vigorous plant genomics program will allow researchers to
create new hybrids and varieties that will:
-- Improve human and animal health;
-- Reduce medical costs due to more nutritious, healthier food for
individuals;
-- Reduce worldwide malnutrition through higher yielding and more
nutritious crops;
-- Reduce environmental problems for crop and livestock producers;
-- Expand plant-based renewable resources for raw materials, industrial
feedstocks, chemicals and energy; and
-- Enable growers to get more income from the market, thereby reducing
reliance on federal farm programs.
Referencing the breakthroughs in genomic research, Smith noted that another
key factor in the recent announcements is ensured accessibility to
fundamental genetic information.
"Our interest from the beginning has been to try to ensure accessibility to
the basic genetic information. We were concerned early on that interests in
other countries would lock up genetic information and preclude work in corn
because of the similarity between plants," he said. "The great thing about
the rice announcement is that it puts all of the fundamental knowledge about
rice in the public domain."
(posted without permission)
