Chinese scientists have successfully completed the world's first
detailed map of indica rice genome.
Chinese
Academy of Sciences (CAS) academician Zhu Zuoyan announced
Thursday the task had been achieved by scientists working in the
CAS Genomics and Bioinformatics Institute.
Zhu said about 60,000 genes were calculated in the detailed map of
indica rice genome. This would lay a good foundation for separating
out characteristics such as disease resistance and high production
as well as quality.
On
October 12, 2001, the CAS, the Ministry of Science and Technology
and the State Development Planning Commission jointly announced
that China had completed the "working draft" on rice genome.
Dr. Yu Jun, deputy director of the Genomics and Bioinformatics
Institute, said the fulfillment of the detailed map of indica rice
genome could provide a great deal of urgently-needed data for
scientists who were engaged in botany and biology.
(Xinhua News Agency December 16, 2002)