"Workshop: Cross-Legume Advances Through Genomics (CATG), Sante Fe, NM, December 13-15, 2004"

University Of California-Davis, Davis CA

Investigators

Abstract

The goal of this workshop is to establish a cross-legume genomics initiative. This initiative will build on the rapid advances that have been made in the genomics of the model legumes Medicago truncatula and Lotus japonicus and of soybean, the major legume of economic interest in the U.S. To bring these results to bear on other legumes, a more organized effort is necessary to establish specific goals and milestones. Legumes are the third largest botanical family and second to cereal in agricultural importance. They fulfill important roles in human nutrition (as a source of protein and health-promoting secondary compounds) and ecosystem function (as a source of nitrogen). Research on legume species can contribute to an understanding of specialized phenomena such as plant biotic interactions, flower and fruit (pod) development, crop domestication, and co-evolution between legume plants and other organisms. The expected outcomes of the workshop include: -A report defining the major goals and activities of a cross-legume initiative, which will be posted at the Legume Information System database (http://www.comparative-legumes.org/). -Development of a cohesive legume genomics researcher network focused around on collaborative projects. -Strengthened interaction and cooperation that should ultimately generate genomic information and tools addressing important issues related to legumes, such as bioinformatics, the biochemical bases of nutritional and health issues, yield, disease and pest resistance, plant development, and metabolic processes. -Development of cross-species markers and other genomic tools to help integrate data in a unified database.