New portal for plant genomics will support research into improved crops
Thursday, October 8, 2009 - 18:35
in Mathematics & Economics
Today sees the launch of Ensembl Plants – a freely available web resource for plant genomics research – by the European Molecular Biology Laboratory's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), in partnership with the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, USA. Ensembl Plants allows researchers worldwide to access and visualise the results of genome-scale experiments in different plant species. By pinpointing the genetic basis of beneficial characteristics such as drought and pest resistance, Ensembl Plants will make it easier for scientists to improve the productivity and health of crops - an important step towards meeting growing global food requirements over the coming decade.