The first complete sequence of a plant genome was published last month, bringing to an end a four-year effort by the Arabidopsis sequencing consortium. Last month's Nature (408, 816–826, 2000) provides the genome sequences of chromosomes 1, 3, and 5 of thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), completing the set of five chromosomes (two of which were published in 1999; Nature 402, 761–777, 1999). The complete ∼119 million bp sequence contains a large amount of genetic redundancy (at least 70% of the genome is duplicated), which is thought to be due to duplication at the genome (polyploidy) or gene level. Of the 26,000 genes identified in the sequence so far, only 15,000 appear to be unique (compared with 13,601 in Drosophila). In contrast to their animal counterparts, Arabidopsis genes also appear compact with short noncoding regions (introns) closely spaced (around 4.6 kb apart). According to Virginia Walbot of Stanford University, the Arabidopsis sequence will be an invaluable resource for crop biotechnologists, “making much simpler” identification of crop genes involved in vegetative growth and reproduction.