Sunflower Genome Sequenced

An international team of researchers have recently published a paper in the journal Nature announcing that they had successfully sequenced and assembled a complete reference genome of the domesticated sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.).

This work is of particular significance due to the difficulty of assembling a complex genome containing many repeating regions that are similar to each other.

A complete reference genome will greatly accelerate future research into this crop as scientists will be able to refer to this when designing and analysing future genetic studies.