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Sep. 18, 2009
Late Blight Up Close
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| The genome of the organism responsible for the dread agricultural disease known as late blight has been sequenced. The organism, a water mold known as Phytophthora infestans, was the cause of the potato famine of the 19th century, and is currently devastating tomato crops in the northeastern US. The genetic code of the organism, which was published earlier this month in the journal Nature, contains much repetitious DNA -- up to 75 percent of the organism's genome consists of repeats. We'll talk with one of the researchers studying the organism. |
Produced by Annette Heist, Senior Producer
Guests
-
Chad Nusbaum
Co-director, Genome Sequencing and Analysis Program
Broad Institute
Cambridge, Massachusetts
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