An OU plant genomics group recently received a $7.5 million grant from a national foundation that will fund a major genomics project.
The National Science Foundation awarded the grant to the OU Advanced Center for Genome Technology to support its tomato genome sequencing project, which is part of an international effort to determine the order of chemical units in the genome of Heinz 1703, a variety of Heinz tomato grown around the world that is the basis for all plant genomic studies, according to a university press release.
Understanding the chemical makeup of a tomato is very similar to understanding the chemical makeup of human beings, Bruce Roe, project leader and OU professor, stated in the release. He said gaining a better understanding of the tomato would lead to its improvement as well as the potential to grow and harvest crops that thrive in diverse climates and benefit growers and consumers alike.
“The tomato has tremendous agriculture importance, so improving the tomato and crop yields will improve quality of life,” Roe said.
Roe said gaining a better understanding of the chemical makeup of human beings allows doctors to diagnose a variety of different diseases early on. It also enhances the ability to trace evolutionary history, he said.
“The knowledge gained in these projects will serve as the basic foundation that will ultimately enable plant biologists and breeders to develop crop plants that are higher-yielding and better able to adapt to a changing environment,” said James Collins, former assistant director for biological sciences at the National Science Foundation.
The tomato sequencing project falls under a larger plant genomics effort called the International Solanaceae Genome Initiative.
The initiative is investigating the genetics and genomics of the tomato in addition to cotton, rice, soybean, wheat, corn and switch grass, according to the initiative’s Web site.
The initiative is also one of the largest plant genomics projects awarded by the National Science Foundation, according to the site.
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