Grapevine Genome Sequenced

**A group of Italian and French scientists have produced a high-quality draft of the genome sequence for the pinot noir grapevine, the first sequence made for a fruit crop.** The research group, called the French-Italian Public Consortium for Grapevine Genome Characterization, has made the genetic code available to the public to speed up the process of identifying the **genes** underlying particular traits, such as those involved in **disease resistance**. The group's findings were published in this week's issue of **Nature**. "Now people have the tools to identify the genes of importance in the grapevine," says Jean Weissenbach, a geneticist who was part of the sequencing effort at Genoscope, in France. "They will be able to find the specific genes which confer resistance to diseases, and, in time, to understand the differences among the various types of **vines**."... Whole on "checkbiotech":[ http://www.checkbiotech.org/green_News_Genetics.aspx?infoId=15476]

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