Fortschritte in der Gentechnik
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From Bench to Barn: Plant Model Research and its Applications in Agriculture

Andrea Pitzschke

In view of the increasing world population and climate change, solutions are needed for improving agricultural productivity and energy supply. Biologists recognized the merits of employing model organisms as representatives of their species/subspecies to investigate molecular principles and pathways in great depth. For most model organisms, full genome sequence information and numerous bioinformatic resources are available. Protocols for transgenesis of model plants and various crops have been established. It is this jewelry of data and tools that helps to improve plant properties in a highly targeted manner.

Combining transgenic approaches with traditional plant breeding is a promising strategy to enhance agricultural productivity and the nutritional value of crops, to clean up contaminated environments and to improve efficiency in biofuel production. This review article provides an update on plant model organisms, including monocots and dicots; legumes and trees. It summarises current bioinformatic resources and transgenesis protocols. Recent achievements in genetic engineering are highlighted and theoretic scenarios for further optimization of plants are discussed.