Determining the genetic codes of plants is often challenging because in many plants chromosomes are present in more than two copies, a condition known as polyploidy. The multiple copies arise from past genome duplication, which occurs in two basic ways. In autopolyploids, genome duplication occurs within a single species. By contrast, allopolyploids arise when different ancestral species crossbreed before genome doubling.
Adam Session and Daniel S. Rokhsar were working together in 2015 to find a more accurate way to identify the evolutionary history of plants and crops. Their answer (which has recently been published) came from an unlikely source that is known to many as a sweet, delectable treat: the strawberry. Learn more on the JGI website.
