HOME >> BIOLOGY >> NEWS
Poplar DNA code cracked -- a step in combating global warming?

Ghent - Forests cover 30% of the world's land area, house two thirds of life on earth, and are responsible for 90% of the biomass on dry land. So, the impact of trees on our daily life is enormous. Now, an international consortium - which includes researchers from the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) at Ghent University - has succeeded in deciphering the first tree genome, that of the poplar. Gaining knowledge of the poplar DNA is an important step in the research into 'tree-specific genes', which can be used to make trees even better air purifiers, to have them grow more quickly, or to make them easier to process into paper.

The poplar as model organism

One can hardly overstate the importance of trees as providers of clean air and energy, or as raw material for furniture, building materials, and other implements. A great many properties found in trees are not found in other plants - like their abilities to provide large quantities of wood, to synchronize their growth with the seasons, and to adapt themselves to changing environmental conditions. They have these vital properties, because they must be able to survive for many years in the same location.

Knowledge of the genome of the poplar (Populus trichocarpa) allows researchers to look for the genes - DNA codes for properties - that are specific to trees. Thus, the poplar - with the relatively limited size of its genome - serves as a model organism for trees. Populus trichocarpa has in fact 'only' 520 million base pairs (the DNA building blocks), which is about 50 times fewer than a pine tree. Then again, the poplar has four times as many DNA as Arabidopsis, a model plant whose genome was deciphered four years ago.

In May 2002, the international consortium set to work to determine the poplar's genome. To do this, they used a female poplar from the banks of the Nisqually River in Washington state (USA). The researchers needed just over two years to de
'"/>

Contact: Sooike Stoops
sooike.stoops@vib.be
32-9-244-66-11
VIB, Flanders Interuniversity Institute of Biotechnology
22-Sep-2004


Page: 1 2

Related biology news :

1. Gene could hold key to predicting, combating life-threatening abnormal heart growth
2. Wilmington researcher receives award for combating terrorism with chemistry
3. Dutch researchers receive award for combating terrorism with chemistry
4. Do genes respond to global warming?
5. Fossils reveal direct link between global warming and genetic diversity in wildlife
6. Technology already exists to stabilize global warming
7. NASA scientists get global fix on food, wood & fiber use
8. New version of premier global climate model released
9. Trapping carbon in soil key for protecting global food security, dealing with climate change
10. First ever standards linking climate change, biodiversity and poverty seek global peer review
11. 51 globally threatened species get new lease on life in the Caucasus

Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
TAG: Poplar DNA code cracked step combating global warming

(Date:5/17/2013)... Shenzhen, China---- Why Tibetan antelope can live at ... a collaborative research published in Nature Communications ... institutes provide evidence that some genetic factors may ... highland environments. The data in this work will ... and the biology of other ruminant species. , ...
(Date:5/17/2013)... American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) released a new ... funding trends highlighting the devastating impact of sequestration on ... analysis follows a May 15th Senate Appropriations Committee hearing ... that the $1.6 billion cut the agency sustained in ... impact on the scientific community." , According to ...
(Date:5/16/2013)... FASEB MARC (Maximizing Access to Research Careers) ... The Endocrine Society (ENDO) 95th Annual Meeting in ... awards are meant to promote the entry of ... the mainstream of the basic science community and ... the ENDO 2013 Annual Meeting. , Awards are ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):The genome sequence of Tibetan antelope sheds new light on high-altitude adaptation 2
(Date:5/17/2013)... Darrington, WA (PRWEB) May 17, 2013 Tooth ... 5th graders showing active signs of the disease. The World ... children and nearly 100% of adults have cavities. What are ... Research is showing a strong connection between the oral ... why is this disease so rampant, yet it is also ...
(Date:5/16/2013)... (PRWEB) May 16, 2013 Oven Industries, ... temperature controllers and temperature sensors since 1964. ... used in industrial control system applications. As ... device includes a generic, control loop feedback system, which ... expertly used to adjust a systematic process, using a ...
(Date:5/16/2013)... 2013 Cambridge Healthtech Institute will host ... 2013 at the Renaissance Waterfront Hotel in Boston, MA. ... close-up look at the current strategies and innovations for ... Leaders in the field will reveal how their ... with greater specificity and efficiency. , “In this age ...
(Date:5/16/2013)... -- The registration deadline has been extended until May 22 ... Conference, the premier conference for bioscience financial officers. The ... San Diego Bayfront. "We are putting ... to make sure as many people as possible have ... , Chief Financial Officer of Mast Therapeutics, Inc. ...
Breaking Biology Technology:Seeing the Future: How a Revolutionary New Bacterial Screening Device Can Predict a Patient’s Future for Tooth Decay 2Seeing the Future: How a Revolutionary New Bacterial Screening Device Can Predict a Patient’s Future for Tooth Decay 3New PID Temperature Controllers Announced by Oven Industries Inc. 2The 2013 Bioprocessing Summit to Bring Together International Leaders to Discuss Today's Bioprocess Issues From Cell Line Selection to Manufacturing in Boston, MA 2Registration Extended Until May 22 for Association of Bioscience Financial Officers (ABFO) 2013 National Conference -- San Diego 2Registration Extended Until May 22 for Association of Bioscience Financial Officers (ABFO) 2013 National Conference -- San Diego 3Registration Extended Until May 22 for Association of Bioscience Financial Officers (ABFO) 2013 National Conference -- San Diego 4
Cached News: