Rice is the second-largest genome sequenced so far, after the human genome.
A genome represents an organism's full genetic makeup. Syngenta, which began its project in September 1999, quickly raced ahead of the public-sector International Rice Genome Sequencing Project, which is coordinated by the government of Japan but isn't scheduled to complete its work until late 2004. U.S. researchers involved in that project said they hoped Syngenta would make its data freely available, but the company indicated it would restrict access for the time being. Rice, an aquatic grass, is the world's largest source of food, and it is particularly important in Asia. Scientists said the sequence data should prove helpful in increasing production to meet growing population pressures.