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Nature Biotechnology 26, 261–263 (1 March 2008) | doi:10.1038/nbt0308-261

Vintage genetic engineering

Laura DeFrancesco

The complete genome sequences of two grapevine cultivars now grace the public genome databases, bringing the latest sequencing technologies to bear on one of the oldest uses of biotech—winemaking. Last December, a group of academic and industrial researchers published the sequence of a cultivated clone of the wine grape Pinot Noir (Vitis vinifera), just four months after the completion of the genome of a highly inbred line of the variety by a consortium of French and Italian researchers.