“Phenom Networks” View Of Crop Improvement

Phenotyping is a rate-limiting activity in genomic research. Plant geneticists and breeders have generated over the past decade numerous Mendelian populations that segregate for genetically mapped quantitative trait loci (QTL). Information about the map positions of QTL is included in more than 5000 publications but only a small fraction of raw data finds its way into existing genomic databases. As opposed to sequence and expression data that need to be deposited in appropriate databases upon publication, the raw data of replicated phenotypic measurements are not deposited in any public repository and are usually lost. A major bioinformatic challenge facing the research community is to develop web-based resources to display the details of complex phenotypes to uncover hidden biological knowledge. Phenom Networks < http://www.phenome-networks.com/> provides such a platform where researchers can share data and compare their phenotypes and analyses to those that have already been deposited in the database to identify wider pleiotropic links. Uniting data from multiple syntenic crops on a common framework will enable the identification of common and unique bottlenecks for crop productivity and the formulation of rational strategies for genomic assisted breeding. The future sharing of phenomic data is the key for continuity of collaborative projects both in academic labs and the seed industry, and this vision will be demonstrated using results from our laboratory. What we eat are phenotypes - in view of the need to achieve global food security it is high time that we find efficient ways to link traits with genomes.