23/04/03

Rice genome sequencers cook up merger

By: Declan Butler

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<h1>Rice genome sequencers cook up merger</h1>
<h4>By: Declan Butler</h4>
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<p>In a move that would greatly accelerate the complete sequencing of the rice genome, the four groups involved in unravelling the genetic code of rice are discussing ways to merge their efforts into a single joint venture.<BR><BR>Last week, the Swiss-based agricultural biotechnology company Syngenta and the publicly funded Beijing Genomics Institute published draft maps for two subspecies of rice, <em>japonica</em> and <em>indica</em>, respectively. <BR><BR>Representatives of these groups, together with those from biotechnology firm Monsanto of St Louis, Missouri, and from the Japanese-led International Rice Genome Sequencing Project could meet within weeks to organise the merger, which could result in the genome being completed next year — two years ahead of the current schedule.<BR><BR>Reference: <em>Nature</em> 416, 573 (2002)<BR><BR><a href="http://www.nature.com/login/scidev_login.taf?ref=/nature/journal/v416/n6881/full/416573a_fs.html" target="_blank" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/tracking/external/'+this.href);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Link to full text</A><BR><BR><B>Related articles:</B><BR><BR><a href="/frame3.asp?id=0504200211535650&t=N&c=1&r=1" target="_blank" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/tracking/external/'+this.href);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Scientists crack rice code, 5 April 2002</A><BR><a href="/frame3.asp?id=0504200211453829&t=C&c=1&r=1" target="_blank" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/tracking/external/'+this.href);" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Importance of Rice, 5 April 2002</A><BR><a href="/frame3.asp?id=1403200211245945&t=N&c=1&r=1" target="_blank" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/tracking/external/'+this.href);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Geneticists call for public access to rice genome, 14 March 2002</A></p>

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<p>This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.scidev.net" target="_blank">SciDev.Net</a>. Read the <a href="https://www.scidev.net/global/news/rice-genome-sequencers-cook-up-merger/" target="_blank">original article</a>.</p>
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In a move that would greatly accelerate the complete sequencing of the rice genome, the four groups involved in unravelling the genetic code of rice are discussing ways to merge their efforts into a single joint venture.

Last week, the Swiss-based agricultural biotechnology company Syngenta and the publicly funded Beijing Genomics Institute published draft maps for two subspecies of rice, japonica and indica, respectively.

Representatives of these groups, together with those from biotechnology firm Monsanto of St Louis, Missouri, and from the Japanese-led International Rice Genome Sequencing Project could meet within weeks to organise the merger, which could result in the genome being completed next year — two years ahead of the current schedule.

Reference: Nature 416, 573 (2002)

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Related articles:

Scientists crack rice code, 5 April 2002
The Importance of Rice, 5 April 2002
Geneticists call for public access to rice genome, 14 March 2002