A new study published in the Nature Genetics journal has highlighted the role of The James Hutton Institute in plant genetics.
Scientists at the International Barley Hub (IBH) have led a 48-strong international consortium in the discovery that different strains have different patterns of switching genes on and off.
This finding will be used for future studies that depend on knowing dynamic patterns of gene expression.
While all barley strains contain approximately the same number of genes, only a few produce premium grains. This is because most genes have variations that modify the function or affect.
This means that the ability to produce premium grain is dependent on the combination of more than 30,000 genes patched together by breeders.
Prof. Robbie Waugh, director of the IBH, said: “This is the most in-depth study to date of how different strategies of switching genes on and off in different places and at different times are used to build a barley plant.
“Importantly, all our data is freely available as it represents an important resource for the global barley research community and barley breeders alike”.