EU-funded project on legume genomics launches new web site
A European project on the genomics of the legume Medicago truncatula has announced the opening of a new web site devoted to the initiative. Legumes, the plant family including alfalfa, soybeans, peas and chickpeas, have two valuable characteristics - they are able to form special nitrogen-fixing nodes which contribute to the nitrogen nutrition of the plant and reduce the need for environmentally damaging fertilisers, and can provide their own phosphorus nutrition. They therefore provide an environmentally-friendly way to produce plant proteins with a high nutritional value for use in food and feed. The MEDICAGO project (Integrated structural functional and comparative genomics of the model legume Medicago truncatula) aims to pinpoint the genes which are modified during the course of symbiotic and pathogenic interactions. It will use structural genomics to create maps showing the distribution of important genes on the genome and to facilitate the cloning of these genes. Comparative genomics will be used to transfer the information gained from studying M. truncatula to other legume crops. The work will be carried out by a European network of researchers. It is hoped the information uncovered in the study can then be applied to major European legume crops such as the grain legume pea and the forage alfalfa. The aim of the project is to create a research network which can provide information on the biology of legumes, detailed maps and molecular tools for marker-assisted breeding. It is hoped that a greater understanding of the genomics of legumes will help to boost their usage in Europe. Currently, only five per cent of the cultivated area is used for legume production, in contrast to over 25 per cent in the USA. The project is being carried out under the 'Quality of life and management of living resources' programme of the Fifth Framework programme.