A global team of researchers led by Dr. Assaf Distelfeld of Tel Aviv
University has published the first-ever
[www.isaaa.org] genome
of Wild Emmer
[www.isaaa.org] wheat,
the original form of nearly all domesticated wheat in the world, including
durum and bread wheat.

Together with researchers and scientists from institutions around the world,
the team has created a 'time tunnel' that can be used to examine wheat from
before the origins of agriculture. The new resource has enabled the team to
identify a number of genes that control the main traits that early humans
selected in domesticating wheat. The genes will be used in future wheat
[www.isaaa.org]
breeding efforts.

The team has assembled the very large and complex genome found in Wild
Emmer's 14 chromosomes, and for the first time, the sequences are collapsed
into a refined order. Dr. Distelfeld concludes, "We now have the tools to
study crops directly and to make and apply our discoveries more efficiently
than ever before."

[english.tau.ac.il]