Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Genomics

Keen insights from quinoa

Nature volume 542, pages 300–302 (2017)Cite this article

Subjects

Technological advances have allowed scientists to sequence the complex quinoa genome. This highlights the ongoing expansion of genomics beyond major crops to other plants that have relevance for global food security. See Article p.307

In 2006, one of us estimated that, given ongoing technological advances, 200 domesticated plants would be sequenced within 14 years1. Genomics has already outstripped this prediction, with most major crop plants, domesticated animals and model organisms having now been sequenced. Nonetheless, the genomes of many organisms that are valuable to local communities and have potentially high salience to a world challenged by issues of food security remain to be tackled. One example of such an organism is the Andean crop quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa). On page 307, Jarvis et al.2 report a high-quality genome sequence for this species.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Quinoa plants grown at high altitude.

David Jarvis/Ivan Gromicho

Notes

  1. See all news & views

References

  1. Paterson, A. H. Nature Rev. Genet. 7, 174–184 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Jarvis, D. E. et al. Nature 542, 307–312 (2017).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Kolata, A. L. Tiwanaku and its Hinterland: Archaeology and Paleoecology of an Andean Civilization Vol. 2 (Smithsonian Inst. Press, 2003).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bruno, M. C. & Whitehead, W. T. Lat. Am. Antiq. 14, 339–355 (2003).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Bazile, D., F.uentes, F. & Mujica, A. in Quinoa: Botany, Production and Uses (eds Bhargava, A. & Srivastava, S.) 16–35 (CABI, 2013).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  6. Maughan, P. J. et al. in Genome Mapping and Molecular Breeding in Plants: Pulses, Sugar and Tuber Crops Vol. 3 (ed. Kole, C.) 147–158 (Springer, 2007).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  7. Walsh, B. M., Adhikary, D., Maughan, P. J., Emshwiller, E. & Jellen, E. N. Am. J. Bot. 102, 533–543 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Fox, J. L. Nature Biotechnol. 31, 867 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Andrew H. Paterson is in the Plant Genome Mapping Laboratory, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30605, USA.,

    Andrew H. Paterson

  2. Alan L. Kolata is in the Department of Anthropology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.,

    Alan L. Kolata

Authors
  1. Andrew H. Paterson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Alan L. Kolata
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Andrew H. Paterson or Alan L. Kolata.

Related links

Related links

Related links in Nature Research

Genomics: Geography matters for Arabidopsis

Epigenetics: The karma of oil palms

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Paterson, A., Kolata, A. Keen insights from quinoa. Nature 542, 300–302 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature21495

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature21495

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing: Translational Research

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Translational Research newsletter — top stories in biotechnology, drug discovery and pharma.

Get what matters in translational research, free to your inbox weekly. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Translational Research