Achievements of the National Plant Genome Initiative and New Horizons in Plant Biology
National Research Council, 2008
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's 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 report 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.
The National Research Council developed an educational booklet,
New Horizons in Plant Sciences, based on
this report highlighting
achievements and new horizons
in the plant genome sciences.
Background
The National Plant Genome Initiative (NPGI) has been funding and coordinating plant genome research among agencies successfully for nine years to understand how plants function and how to develop desirable plant characteristics.
As NPGI approaches its 10th anniversary, the Working Group asked the National Research Council to evaluate the program and to make recommendations about the future of plant genome science.
The NRC convened a
committee of experts in the fields of plant genetics, epigenetics, informatics, biology education, and molecular and cell biology to evaluate the NPGI program, which involved reviewing the science already produced and the science soon to come.
Statement of Task [top]
- Review the accomplishments of NPGI to date.
- Assess the contribution of NPGI to science, research infrastructure, education of the next
generation of scientists, and international research collaboration.
- Discuss the broad impacts of NPGI to fundamental advances in biological sciences.
- Assess the contributions of NPGI to the application of scientific knowledge including
technological innovation and economic competitiveness.
- Recommend future research directions and objectives for NPGI.
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Committee Roster [top]
Committee on the National Plant Genome Initiative: Achievements and Future Directions
Jeffery L. Dangl (Chair)
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Lois Banta
Williams College
Roger Boerma
University of Georgia, Athens
James C. Carrington
Oregon State University, Corvallis
Joanne Chory
Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Steve A. Kay
University of California, San Diego
Suzanna Lewis
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Thomas Mitchell-Olds
Duke University
Neelima R. Sinha
University of California, Davis
Michael Snyder
Yale University
Steven H. Strauss
Oregon State University, Corvallis
Eric R. Ward
Two Blades Foundation
Evonne Tang (Study Director)
National Research Council
This project was supported by the Interagency Working Group on Plant Genomes. Members of the Interagency Working Group on Plant Genomes include the
National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Agricultural Research Service,
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, and
Forest Service, the
U.S. Department of Energy, the
U.S. Agency for International Development, the
National Human Genome Research Institute, the
Office of Management and Budget, and the
Office of Science and Technology Policy.
