JACQUES S. BECKMANN & THOMAS C. OSBORN Extraordinary progress has been made in the analyses of the genetic structures of higher eukaryotic genomes. Only ten years elapsed between the initial proposals to use molecular DNA markers for the generation of a complete linkage map of the human genome [5, 17] and the first description of a 10 centimorgan map of one of its chromosomes [22], soon to be followed by others. The availability of molecular DNA markers, henceforth called genomic markers [for a review of their properties see 1, 2, 20], represents a milestone in genetics by providing the capacity for complete genetic coverage of all genomes. It is important to remember that the nature of the DNA polymorphism or of the specific method used to uncover it can be quite different for different marker loci. The genetic variation detected can be a result of a simple point mutation, a DNA insertion/deletion event, or a change in repeat copy number at some hypervariable DNA [11] or micro satellite [21] motif. Currently, the methods of detection can involve use of restriction endonucleases, nucleic acid hybridization, or DNA sequence amplification. Each of these sources of var iation and methods of detection can have utility for different applications. Furthermore, new approaches for the detection of DNA polymorphism are constantly emerging. The primary concern here is that the monitored poly morphism defines a genetic marker 'useful' for the desired application.

While the complete sequencing of the genomes of model organisms such as a multitude of bacteria and archaea, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the worm Caenorhabditis elegans, the fly Drosophila melanogaster, and the mouse and human genomes have received much public attention, the deciphering of plant genomeswas greatly lagging behind. Up to now, only two plant genomes, one of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and one of the crop species rice (Oryza sativa) have been sequenced, though a series of other crop genome sequencing projects are underway. Notwithstanding this public bias towards genomics of animals and humans, it is nevertheless of great importance for basic and applied sciences and industries in such diverse fields as agriculture, breeding in particular, evolutionary genetics, biotechnology, and food science to know the composition of crop plant genomes in detail. It is equally crucial for a deeper understanding of the molecular basis of biodiversity and synteny. The Handbook of Genome Mapping: Genetic and Physical Mapping is the first book on the market to cover these hot topics in considerable detail, and is set apart by its combination of genetic and physical mapping. Throughout, each chapter begins with an easy-to-read introduction, also making the book the first reference designed for non-specialists and newcomers, too. In addition to being an outstanding bench work reference, the book is an excellent textbook for learning and teaching genomics, in particular for courses on genome mapping. It also serves as an up-to-date guide for seasoned researchers involved in the genetic and physical mapping of genomes, especially plant genomes.

Genomics, the mapping of the entire genetic complement of an organism, is the new frontier in biology. This handbook on the statistical issues of genomics covers current methods and the tried-and-true classical approaches.

Sequencing of the model plant genomes such as those of A. thaliana and rice has revolutionized our understanding of plant biology but it has yet to translate into the improvement of major crop species such as maize, wheat, or barley. Moreover, the comparative genomic studies in cereals that have been performed in the past decade have revealed the limits of conservation between rice and the other cereal genomes. This has necessitated the development of genomic resources and programs for maize, sorghum, wheat, and barley to serve as the foundation for future genome sequencing and the acceleration of genomic based improvement of these critically important crops. Cereals constitute over 50% of total crop production worldwide (http://www.fao.org/) and cereal seeds are one of the most important renewable resources for food, feed, and industrial raw materials. Crop species of the Triticeae tribe that comprise wheat, barley, and rye are essential components of human and domestic animal nutrition. With 17% of all crop area, wheat is the staple food for 40% of the world’s population, while barley ranks fifth in the world production. Their domestication in the Fertile Crescent 10,000 years ago ushered in the beginning of agriculture and signified an important breakthrough in the advancement of civilization. Rye is second after wheat among grains most commonly used in the production of bread and is also very important for mixed animal feeds. It can be cultivated in poor soils and climates that are generally not suitable for other cereals. Extensive genetics and cytogenetics studies performed in the Triticeae species over the last 50 years have led to the characterization of their chromosomal composition and origins and have supported intensive work to create new genetic resources. Cytogenetic studies in wheat have allowed the identification and characterization of the different homoeologous genomes and have demonstrated the utility of studying wheat genome evolution as a model for the analysis of polyploidization, a major force in the evolution of the eukaryotic genomes. Barley with its diploid genome shows high collinearity with the other Triticeae genomes and therefore serves as a good template for supporting genomic analyses in the wheat and rye genomes. The knowledge gained from genetic studies in the Triticeae has also been used to produce Triticale, the first human made hybrid crop that results from a cross between wheat and rye and combines the nutrition quality and productivity of wheat with the ruggedness of rye. Despite the economic importance of the Triticeae species and the need for accelerated crop improvement based on genomics studies, the size (1.7 Gb for the bread wheat genome, i.e., 5x the human genome and 40 times the rice genome), high repeat content (>80%), and complexity (polyploidy in wheat) of their genomes often have been considered too challenging for efficient molecular analysis and genetic improvement in these species. Consequently, Triticeae genomics has lagged behind the genomic advances of other cereal crops for many years. Recently, however, the situation has changed dramatically and robust genomic programs can be established in the Triticeae as a result of the convergence of several technology developments that have led to new, more efficient scientific capabilities and resources such as whole-genome and chromosome-specific BAC libraries, extensive EST collections, transformation systems, wild germplasm and mutant collections, as well as DNA chips. Currently, the Triticeae genomics "toolbox" is comprised of: - 9 publicly available BAC libraries from diploid (5), tetraploid (1) and hexaploid (3) wheat; 3 publicly available BAC libraries from barley and one BAC library from rye; - 3 wheat chromosome specific BAC libraries; - DNA chips including commercially available first generation chips from AFFYMETRIX containing 55’000 wheat and 22,000 barley genes; - A large number of wheat and barley genetic maps that are saturated by a significant number of markers; - The largest plant EST collection with 870’000 wheat ESTs, 440’000 barley ESTs and about 10’000 rye ESTs; - Established protocols for stable transformation by biolistic and agrobacterium as well as a transient expression system using VIGS in wheat and barley; and - Large collections of well characterized cultivated and wild genetic resources. International consortia, such as the International Triticeae Mapping Initiative (ITMI), have advanced synergies in the Triticeae genetics community in the development of additional mapping populations and markers that have led to a dramatic improvement in the resolution of the genetic maps and the amount of molecular markers in the three species resulting in the accelerated utilization of molecular markers in selection programs. Together, with the development of the genomic resources, the isolation of the first genes of agronomic interest by map-based cloning has been enabled and has proven the feasibility of forging the link between genotype and phenotype in the Triticeae species. Moreover, the first analyses of BAC sequences from wheat and barley have allowed preliminary characterizations of their genome organization and composition as well as the first inter- and intra-specific comparative genomic studies. These later have revealed important evolutionary mechanisms (e.g. unequal crossing over, illegitimate recombination) that have shaped the wheat and barley genomes during their evolution. These breakthroughs have demonstrated the feasibility of developing efficient genomic studies in the Triticeae and have led to the recent establishment of the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC) (http//:www.wheatgenome.org) and the International Barley Sequencing Consortium (www.isbc.org) that aim to sequence, respectively, the hexaploid wheat and barley genomes to accelerate gene discovery and crop improvement in the next decade. Large projects aiming at the establishment of the physical maps as well as a better characterization of their composition and organization through large scale random sequencing projects have been initiated already. Concurrently, a number of projects have been launched to develop high throughput functional genomics in wheat and barley. Transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics analyses of traits of agronomic importance, such as quality, disease resistance, drought, and salt tolerance, are underway in both species. Combined with the development of physical maps, efficient gene isolation will be enabled and improved sequencing technologies and reduced sequencing costs will permit ultimately genome sequencing and access to the entire wheat and barley gene regulatory elements repertoire. Because rye is closely related to wheat and barley in Triticeae evolution, the latest developments in wheat and barley genomics will be of great use for developing rye genomics and for providing tools for rye improvement. Finally, a new model for temperate grasses has emerged in the past year with the development of the genetics and genomics (including a 8x whole genome shotgun sequencing project) of Brachypodium, a member of the Poeae family that is more closely related to the Triticeae than rice and can provide valuable information for supporting Triticeae genomics in the near future. These recent breakthroughs have yet to be reviewed in a single source of literature and current handbooks on wheat, barley, or rye are dedicated mainly to progress in genetics. In "Genetics and Genomics of the Triticeae", we will aim to comprehensively review the recent progress in the development of structural and functional genomics tools in the Triticeae species and review the understanding of wheat, barley, and rye biology that has resulted from these new resources as well as to illuminate how this new found knowledge can be applied for the improvement of these essential species. The book will be the seventh volume in the ambitious series of books, Plant Genetics and Genomics (Richard A. Jorgensen, series editor) that will attempt to bring the field up-to-date on the genetics and genomics of important crop plants and genetic models. It is our hope that the publication will be a useful and timely tool for researchers and students alike working with the Triticeae.

Recent advances in plant genomics and molecular biology have revolutionized our understanding of plant genetics, providing new opportunities for more efficient and controllable plant breeding. Successful techniques require a solid understanding of the underlying molecular biology as well as experience in applied plant breeding. Bridging the gap between developments in biotechnology and its applications in plant improvement, Molecular Plant Breeding provides an integrative overview of issues from basic theories to their applications to crop improvement including molecular marker technology, gene mapping, genetic transformation, quantitative genetics, and breeding methodology.

This book presents the basic and applied aspects of sequencing of genes and genomes and their implication in the fine-scale elucidation of the plant genomes. The third volume presents an overview on the advances of plant genomics made in the past century; deliberations on the genomics resources; concepts, tools, strategies, and achievements of

(Chapters 1-17)See Preview for full table of contents. ""College Biology,"" adapted from OpenStax College's open (CC BY) textbook ""Biology,"" is Textbook Equity's derivative to ensure continued free and open access, and to provide low cost print formats. For manageability and economy, Textbook Equity created three volumes from the original that closely match typical semester or quarter biology curriculum. No academic content was changed from the original. The full text (volumes 1 through 3)is ""designed for multi-semester biology courses for science majors."" Contains Chapter Summaries, Review Questions, Critical Thinking Questions and Answer Keys Download Free Full-Color PDF, too! http: //textbookequity.org/tbq_biology/ Textbook License: CC BY-SA Fearlessly Copy, Print, Remix

This book covers a range of important topics on crop and animal genetics, breeding and genomics, as well as biodiversity and genetic resources conservation and utilization reflecting three thematic sections of working groups of the Biotechnology Society of Nigeria. The topics range from agricultural biotechnology, including genetically modified organisms and gene-editing for agronomically important traits in tropical crops, to Nigeria’s mega biodiversity and genetic resources conservation. This book will engender a deeper understanding of underpinning mechanisms, technologies, processes and science–policy nexus that has placed Nigeria as a leader in biotechnology in Africa. The book will be useful reference material for scientists and researchers working in the fields of food and agricultural biotechnology, bioinformatics, plant and animal genetics, breeding and genomics, genetic resources conservation and enhancement. Emphasizes recent advances in biotechnologies that could ameliorate the high-level global food and nutrition insecurity through plant and animal genetics, breeding, as well as genomics Provides detailed information towards harnessing indigenous bioresources for food and nutrition security and climate change adaptation Introduces new frontiers in the area of genomics, most especially their relevant applications in crop and animal breeding Reviews biotechniques that could enhance plant genetic resources conservation and utilization Discusses current biotechnological approaches to exploit genetic resources including the development of synthetic hexaploid wheat (SHW) for crop adaptation to the increasingly changing global climate

To respond to the increasing need to feed the world's population as well as an ever greater demand for a balanced and healthy diet there is a continuing need to produce improved new cultivars or varieties of plants, particularly crop plants. The strategies used to produce these are increasingly based on our knowledge of relevant science, particularly genetics, but involves a multidisciplinary understanding that optimizes the approaches taken. Principles of Plant Genetics and Breeding, 2nd Edition introduces both classical and molecular tools for plant breeding. Topics such as biotechnology in plant breeding, intellectual property, risks, emerging concepts (decentralized breeding, organic breeding), and more are addressed in the new, updated edition of this text. Industry highlight boxes are included throughout the text to contextualize the information given through the professional experiences of plant breeders. The final chapters provide a useful reference on breeding the largest and most common crops. Up-to-date edition of this bestselling book incorporating the most recent technologies in the field Combines both theory and practice in modern plant breeding Updated industry highlights help to illustrate the concepts outlined in the text Self assessment questions at the end of each chapter aid student learning Accompanying website with artwork from the book available to instructors