Grape genome unpicked
Vintage sequence could lead to improved pest resistance and new wine flavours.
A French-led team of geneticists has cemented the country's reputation as the world's wine capital — by compiling the complete genetic code of a Pinot Noir grape. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they have discovered that the species has a large repertoire of genes that produce compounds known to give complex flavours to fruit.
Comments
It is another feather in the cap of French scientits, who have sequenced the complete grape genome. The wealth of genomic information uncovered will be useful not only to the grape plant itself but also to other crops in improving yield as well as nutritional quality.
Posted by: K C Bansal | August 27, 2007 03:26 PM
In response to KC Bansal, allow me to say that I think the italian genetists have contributed as well to this project in quite a consisent way, at least as much as the french ones and with many different centres of research scattred all over Italy.
As a former plant genetic researcher, now turned into wine making and vine growing, my hopes are that this work will lead, in the future, to a new generation of clones which inducted resistance to main grape deseases will dramatically cut the amount of chemical still needed for effective and economically sound results.
This will also represent a good example for the general public about the fact the biotechnology is not that monster creating machine that many people (and media) like to think.
Posted by: gianpaolo | August 30, 2007 09:24 PM