Bread is the staple food for millions of people. Because of that, the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium formed in 2005 studied the bread wheat genome sequence and published important results in four papers in the journal Science. The chromosome-based draft genome sequence of bread wheat is important because 700 million tons of bread are produced annually. The findings will likely have a deep impact over how a large part of the planet eats.
Discovering that molecular vibration speeds photosynthesis is another important recent scientific finding which might change agricultural methods.
Bread wheat genome sequenced but does it resolve the problem of food distribution?
Genetically modified organisms have been debated for a long time now. Corporations as Monsanto are constantly being accused of producing newly engineered crops without a comprehensive knowledge of the how the new crops will interfere with human organisms. Important plant characteristics are usually irrelevant for companies who search profit stemming from the quantity rather than the quality of the crops.
“This resource is invaluable for identifying those genes that control complex traits, such as yield, grain quality, disease, pest resistance and abiotic stress tolerance,” researcher Eduard Akhunov, stated. “They will be able to produce a new generation of wheat varieties with higher yields and improved sustainability to meet the demands of a growing world population in a changing environment,” he added.
But can we afford to negate the importance of genetically modified organisms in a world where millions of people live on the edge of starvation? Probably not, but there are underlying problems requiring debate. Small farmers all over the world are influenced by the actions of large corporations who have the access to political power structures. Moreover, in a world where obesity is reaching epidemic scales and famine is still widespread, the basic problem lies in the food distribution system, rather than production.
Because of its complexity, the bread wheat genome (Triticum aestivum) has been thought to be impossible to sequence because its size is more than five times that of the human genome. Bread wheat is a versatile plant and can already be adapted to a large variety of environments. With the new results, the necessary conditions to plant high yield wheat crops become less burdening than ever. The main article titled “A chromosome-based draft sequence of the hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) genome” is available on Science from July 18.