Photo composite by Clay Gordon, photographs from stock.xchng So far, one food crop that has proved resistant to genetic engineering is cacao. However, that may change as a result of a new study, funded by Mars, Inc., to completely analyze the more than 400 million base pairs in the cacao genome. (The human genome has about three billion base pairs.) The reasons given for undertaking this research effort, which Mars is funding to the tune of more than $10 million, are to help identify traits that make cacao trees susceptible to the entire range of diseases, pests, and environmental stresses such as drought. Oh, and maybe even find some genes that contribute to taste. Why Research The Cacao Genome?...
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