BIOTECHNOLOGY REFERENCES

Skip Navigational Links.
Food & Ingredients | Educ. Serv. | Tech Serv. | Market Serv. | E-Commerce Serv.
Food Resource (Home)
Be descriptive for better search results.
REPRINTS, COPIES
Contact Us
Gura, T. 2000January 21. Reaping the plant gene harvest. Science 287: 413. to Top


Excerpts from article: Projects aimed at sequencing the genomes of major crop plants, including rice, are also beginning to bear fruit. But as these efforts pack DNA databases with a bumper crop of sequences, scientists are facing a mind-boggling challenge: how to figure out what all the new plant genes they are discovering actually do.

Name of Method What It Is How It Is Used
BLAST searching Computer scanning of DNA databases Assigns gene function based on similarity to known genes
Synteny Compares chromosomal gene maps from different species Assigns gene function based on similarities in sequence and location.
Chimeraplasty Inserts DNA/RNA hybrids into cells Generates specific gene mutations
TUSC(Trait Utility System for Corn) Inserts DNA that jumps into genes Generates wholesale mutations in maize.
Activation tagging Inserts DNA enhancers via a plant cell-infecting bacterium Generates wholesale mutations in plants
RNA silencing/Gene overexpression Infects tobacco plants with genetically altered TMV Turns tobacco genes either on or off
Microarray analysis DNA snippets on chips Tracks gene activity
Proteomics Two-dimensional gels of protein expression Tracks protein expression by cells
Metanomics Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry profiles Tracks metabolite expression by cells

Updated: Thursday, September 6, 2007.

Oregon State University.
OSU Disclaimer.