Despite its weedy appearance, A. thaliana, commonly known as thale cress or mouse-ear cress, is the undisputed model plant. Ease of cultivation, rapid life cycle, and high seed production are bolstered by small genome size and ease of transformation. As a result of evolutionary conservation, many of the fundamental advances using Arabidopsis are finding useful application in the improvement of crops such as maize, wheat, and rice.
View full pdf featuring research timeline, stats and related web sites, (217K)
Interested in reading more?
Become a Member of
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
