NCGA
Announces Initiative to Advance Sequencing of Maize Genome (3-15-04)
Efforts to sequence the maize genome received a boost today with
the announcement by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA)
that three industry leaders will share their corn genome sequence
data. The valuable data provided by Ceres, Inc., Monsanto Company,
and DuPont subsidiary, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., combined
with corn sequence data already in the public domain, will significantly
accelerate the identification of genes within the entire corn genome.
With the availability of sequencing data, the corn genome could
be completely sequenced by 2007, potentially years ahead of when
it would have been completed without this initiative.
“The sharing of these data will pave the way toward future
improvements in corn that hold great promise for corn growers and
consumers around the globe,” said Gary Davis, chairman of NCGA’s
Research and Business Development Action Team. “We would like
to build on this momentum to develop a broader coalition that supports
this important effort.”
NCGA believes completion of the maize genome sequence
will increase breeding efficiency, streamline the delivery of new
traits, allow
the discovery and enhancement of properties such as drought tolerance
and further the recognition and understanding of traits that will
enhance corn’s position as the ideal crop for food, feed, fuel
and industrial uses. Leaders from NCGA and the companies involved
believe this sequencing information has the ability to benefit existing
and future research for the U.S. corn industry.
“As a grower, I’m interested in how we can modify the
corn crop to find new traits that offer enhanced value and new uses,” Davis
said. “And as a consumer, the mapping of this genome is extremely
important because it could lead to new products.”
This project underscores NCGA’s continued commitment to advancements
through research. NCGA took a leading role in getting the Plant Genome
Initiative signed into law in 1997 and continues to support this
important effort. Today’s announcement reinforces that commitment,
according to NCGA Manager of Research and Business Development Nathan
Danielson. “This was a situation where a lot of people realized
it was the right thing to do and the right time to do it,” he
said.
The data will be available to research scientists through a searchable
database on the Internet, and is intended to be hosted at the Donald
Danforth Plant Science Center, a not-for-profit research institute.
To gain access to the data, scientists must complete a licensing
agreement that will be downloadable on the NCGA Web site, www.ncga.com.