00:01Could this plant from Antarctica help scientists unlock the genetic secrets to climate-resilient
00:08crops? Colobanthus quetensis is one of only two flowering plants that grow naturally in
00:15Antarctica. It has long attracted scientific interest because it can survive one of the
00:20planet's coldest and driest environments. Now, a team led by Chilean researchers has
00:27produced the most complete genetic map of the plant to date. Eduardo Castro is an associate
00:34researcher at Chile's Cape Horn International Center and the lead author of the study.
00:40The plant's significance is indirect. It is a plant that colonized Antarctica tens of thousands of
00:47years ago. So it is an example of a natural biological invasion that reached Antarctica on its own.
00:53That is relevant in today's climate change context and it is also an example of adaptation.
00:58It is a plant that has adapted to extreme conditions of cold, temperature, salinity and ultraviolet
01:05radiation and that can help us with agriculture in the future. The study assembled all 40 chromosome
01:11scale scaffolds that make up the plant's genetic blueprint under a project known as Polarix.
01:18We are interested in understanding the genetic determinants of this plant's adaptation to the
01:23extreme conditions of the Antarctic region. If we can identify these, we will be able to identify the
01:29genes behind these capabilities, these traits. We'll be able to essentially search for similar genes in
01:36plants we use in agriculture. Record heat and extensive drought have increased pressure on agriculture
01:42in many parts of the world. Scientists said they are now equipped to start assessing whether the plant's
01:50traits could be transferred to agricultural crops through genetic editing techniques. However, it can take
01:57years. Identifying individual genes is easier once a genome has been mapped. When that has been done,
02:05Castro said that scientists could need between 5 to 10 years to develop commercial applications.
02:12For more information, there are individuals of the best nations that have been transmitted by the
02:12People when giving Нач
Comments