Plant species with sequenced genomes

With the advent of genomic mapping, there has been a rush to sequence organisms to better understand them, their genus, their phyla, and their domain in hopes of genetically engineering them to create better organisms that will aid us. With plants being just as important as all the other domains and serving as a food source, building material, oxygen source, and many other purposes they us with great capabilities. Understanding and using them could provide us with even more. Sequencing plants is of utmost importance as the number of humans increases and the theoretical carrying capacity is approached. The first plant to be completely sequenced was the Thale Cress, a model organism, just as important as the mouse for genetic experimentation.

Thale Cress:
Mapping the genomic sequences of plants had it first major breakthrough in 2000 and was the result of 4 years of study by the Arabidopsis Genome Initiative. This project include over 100 scientists from around the world and the total cost was estimated to be around $78 million. The Thale Cress serves as the model plant for genomic sequencing because of its ability to reproduce quickly (about 6 weeks), easy growth, has a small genome, and offers insights in all other plants.

Rice:
After the success of the Thale Cress, plants were sequenced readily and rice became an important goal since it serves as a staple in many countries and is also a model organism. As the number of plants with sequenced genomes increased, scientists set their sights on more complex plants in hopes of understanding plant biology better and provide new insight into genetic engineering.

Balsam Poplar:
The Balsam Poplar represents the first woody plant to be sequenced. Being a woody plant provides us with information about other genomes of this nature. Since wood is of economic importance, this information is key to creating superior wood products.

With plants being readily sequenced, the importance of this genomic mapping will only increase. We will be able to utilize the information that plants have in store and understand more complex organisms. The plants that have been sequenced so far offer insight that will have economic, cultural, and societal benefits becoming increasingly important as we dive deeper into the realms of plant biology and genetic engineering.

Completely Sequenced Plants and the Date Completed:
Arabidopsis thaliana (Thale Cress) December 14, 2000
Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica (Rice) April 5, 2002
Cyanidioschyzon Merolae (Red Alga) April 8, 2004
Oryza sativa ssp. japonica (Rice) August 11, 2005
Ostreococcus tauri (Green Alga) August 1, 2006
Populus balsamifera trichocarpa (Balsam Poplar) September 15, 2006
Ostreococcus lucimarinus (Green Alga) May 3, 2007

Resources and helpful articles about genomic sequencing in plants: http://genomesonline.org/gold.cgi?want=Published+Complete+Genomes&pubsort=Domain http://www.genomenewsnetwork.org/resources/sequenced_genomes/genome_guide_p1.shtml
http://www.jyi.org/news/nb.php?id=401 http://www.mindfully.org/GE/First-Complete-Plant.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sequenced_eukaryotic_genomes