title: Brachypodium distachyon: making hay with a wild grass.
abstract: Brachypodium distachyon is a wild grass with a short life cycle. Although it is related to small grain cereals such as wheat, its genome is only a fraction of the size. A draft genome sequence is currently available, and molecular and genetic tools have been developed for transformation, mutagenesis and gene mapping. Accessions collected from across its ancestral range show a surprising degree of phenotypic variation in many traits, including those implicated in domestication of the cereals. Thus, given its rapid cycling time and ease of cultivation, Brachypodium will be a useful model for investigating problems in grass biology.
authors.affiliation: John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Opanowicz
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vain
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Draper
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Doonan
mesh_terms: D002523:Edible Grain / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D018745:Genome, Plant; D023281:Genomics; D010802:Phylogeny; D006109:Poaceae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*