The Gene Machine will give researchers access to mutants, which help them identify the function of any particular gene. As a result of these new approaches we will be able to identify key genes that regulate germination and seedling vigor, flowering, drought tolerance and many other aspects of plant development. In the near future, breeding programs will use the knowledge we have gained from genomics to improve the agronomic performance of many crop plants. Genomics is going to revolutionise plant biology over the next decade. It will provide vast amounts of data on plant characteristics and how to use them better.
Gene chips measure the expression of every gene at once.
Microarrays of up to 20,000 gene markers on a microscope slide show a change in colour when a gene is turned on. These gene chips allow us to look at gene expression in different parts of plants and at different stages in their lives. The whole genome of Arabidopsis , a mustard-like weed, will be sequenced this year. But we do not know the function of most of its genes. That presents us with a challenge.