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St. Louis scientists sequence corn genome

By AP/St. Louis Public Radio

St. Louis – Scientists at Washington University in St. Louis have unraveled the DNA of humans and other creatures. Now, they've decoded the genetic makeup of corn.

The team published their research in the journal Science. They the new data will speed up efforts to develop better crop varieties and meet growing worldwide demand.

The corn genome consists of 32,000 genes in just 10 chromosomes. By contrast, humans have 20,000 genes in 23 chromosomes.

The $29.5 million maize sequencing project is funded by the U.S. departments of agriculture and energy and the National Science Foundation. It began in 2005.

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