Achievements of the National Plant Genome Initiative and New Horizons in Plant Biology

Life on Earth would be impossible without plants. Humans rely on plants for most clothing, furniture, food, as well as for many pharmaceuticals and other products. Plant genome sciences are essential to understanding how plants function and how to develop desirable plant characteristics. For example, plant genomic science can contribute to the development of plants that are drought-resistant, those that require less fertilizer, and those that are optimized for conversion to fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. The National Plant Genome Initiative (NPGI) is a unique, cross-agency funding enterprise that has been funding and coordinating plant genome research successfully for nine years. Research breakthroughs from NPGI and the National Science Foundation (NSF) Arabidopsis 2010 Project, such as how the plant immune system controls pathogen defense, demonstrate that the plant genome science community is vibrant and capable of driving technological advancement. This book from the National Research Council concludes that these programs should continue so that applied programs on agriculture, bioenergy, and others will always be built on a strong foundation of fundamental plant biology research.

Table of Contents


Front Matter
Summary
1 Introduction
2 Assessment
3 Recommendations and Goals: New Horizons in Plant Genomics
Glossary
References
Appendixes
A: Committee Biographies
B: Publications in Genomics of the Top 40 Most-Cultivated Crops
C: Questionnaire to Lead Principal Investigators of NPGI Grants
D: Workshop on the National Plant Genome Initiative (Agenda)
E: Summary of Grants Given by the National Plant Genome Initiative
F: List of Websites That Lead Principal Investigators of NPGI Grants Reported as the Top Five Websites Used for NPGI Research
G: Impact Factor of Journals in Which Awardees of NPGI Grants Published Their Articles
H: NPGI-Funded K-12 Outreach Activities with Broad Potential Impact
I: Examples of Joint Call for Proposals and Co-funded Programs by IWG Members
J: Examples of Interactions with Industry and Plant Breeders Reported by Principal Investigators of NPGI
K: Tree Genomics or Molecular Genetics Support Provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service
L: Number and Type of Mutants Distributed by the National Plant Germplasm System