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The Perfect Plant
| Article
# : |
18608 |
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Section : |
NATURAL SCIENCE
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| Issue
Date : |
4 / 1991 |
1,469 Words |
| Author
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Chris and Shauna Somerville
Chris and Shauna Somerville are faculty members at the
Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory at Michigan
State University in East Lansing, Michigan. During the past
12
years they have published more than 90 research articles
concerning various aspects of the genetics, physiology, and
biochemistry of Arabidopsis. |
During the past five years there has been a virtual explosion in the number of experimental plant scientists who are focusing research on the small weed Arabidopsis thaliana. Arabidopsis is a member of the mustard family (or Cruciferae) that has no aesthetic or economic value. This crucifer is common in northern Europe where it grows in well-drained soils in undisturbed habitats.
As recently as six years ago, only a handful of laboratories around the world had an interest in this plant. By contrast, on the basis of attendance at two recent international scientific meetings devoted solely to Arabidopsis, it is estimated that more than 1,000 scientists are now using this diminutive plant as their preferred experimental organism. Some researchers have switched from traditional model organisms like E.coli, yeast, and Drosophila.
In recognition of the scientific momentum that has developed, scientific funding agencies in Britain, the European Community, Australia, and the United States have committed funds to support the expansion in Arabidopsis research. In the largest concerted effort, the U.S. National Science Foundation will coordinate an infusion of research support from itself, the National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energy. The total funding from these federal agencies is expected to reach $100 million over a 10-year period.
One of the features that makes Arabidopsis so attractive as an experimental organism is its small size. This plant grows as a compact rosette containing anywhere from four to dozens of leaves. Under normal growth conditions, the total leaf surface area of one plant is only a few square centimeters. Thus, many plants can be grown in a relatively small amount of frequently scarce laboratory space.
Rapid life cycle
Arabidopsis grows and matures very quickly. The time from seed germination until maturation of the first seeds of the next generation is only about six weeks. Furthermore, each plant may produce more than 10,000 seeds. These properties, which make the plant a successful weed, also decrease the time required to study the inheritance of genetic traits. The profile seed production makes it possible to generate the very large number of Arabidopsis plants required to find the relatively rare genetic variants that are the objects of most experiments with this organism.
Although the small
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