Switchgrass genome mapped

In California, Christian Tobias of the ARS Western Regional Research Center in Albany, lead a team that has successfully mapped the genome for switchgrass.  Tobias and his team crossed an ARS switchgrass varietal called Alamo with a commercially available varietal, Kanlow to produce 238 plants.  They then extracted DNA and produced a map using over 1,000 genetic markers that were attributable to one or the other parent plants.

This map will enable researchers to compare switchgrass DNA with other, better known plants such as rice and sorghum to identify gene sequences controlling crop yields and plant cell walls, which will in turn make it easier to produce ethanol.  The research was funded by the USDOE and the USDA.

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Tags: genome, switchgrass

Category: Research