In the United Kingdom, the genetic secrets of plant cell walls that could help improve the quality of plant-based foods have been unlocked by researchers from the University of York and the Quadram Institute.
Using a lab-on-a-chip or microarray, the team analyzed thousands of plant cell samples simultaneously and harvested a large amount of data relevant to the arrangement of the cell. This information was linked back to particular changes in genetic information between the different varieties of plant cell, using a technique called association mapping.
Detailed information about the genetics of crop plants exists, but what has been lacking is the technology needed to collect comparable cell wall data to locate, assign and signpost important genes for plant breeders. The microarray technology helped identify genetic markers to tell breeders when a good gene variant is present and tell scientists the likely position, and therefore identity, of a relevant gene.