Researchers sequence sugarbeet genome

In Germany, a study published in Nature on Tuesday, describes the sugar beet reference genome sequence generated by researchers both from the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics and the University of Bielefeld, in cooperation with other centres and plant breeders.

Sugar beet accounts for nearly 30% of the world’s annual sugar production, according to FAO, and provides a source for bioethanol and animal feed. The sugar beet genome sequence provides insights into how the genome has been shaped by artificial selection along time.