Arabidopsis: the model plant

Arabidopsis thaliana, also known as thale cress or rockcress, is a small plant closely related to mustard and cabbage. Arabidopsis is not grown for food or for its flowers, or because it provides something useful like cotton or oil, yet it is grown in large numbers all over the world. But why It turns out that its small size, quick growth and relatively simple genome makes Arabidopsis one of the most powerful tools available to plant scientists to protect the health of the plants on which we all depend. See BBSRC News for the latest news, features and events: