Banana to be Sequenced

GodsMadClown writes "New Scientist reports that a global consortium plans to sequence the genetic code of a wild banana from east Asia. Because bananas are triploidal instead of diploidal, they are only able to reproduce asexually, which means that it adapts slower than organisms reproducing sexually. 'One rule of joining the consortium is that any invention developed through the project and protected [by patent] will be made available to smallholders through a royalty-free license,' says Emile Frison, director of the International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain."

Bananas being sequenced... why?

The original story description was entirely non-coherent. So for anyone who actually cares, according to the article, bananas are being sequenced because the varieties favored by Western civilization are a nautral hybrid, and also happen to be sterile. This makes it impossible to crossbreed with Asian varieties that are more resistant to pests and diseases, hence, gene sequencing... all so that CostaRicans can use less pesticides, make more money from all of us banana loving Westerners.

Re:Bananas being sequenced... why?

There is very good reason for genetic research into Bananas. Almost all Banans eaten in the world are from a single species, which is almost sterile - note the lack of seeds in your lunchtime Banana. There are several diseases which, if they got into the main Banana growing parts of the world, could seriously threaten the very existence of the Banana. This would be devastating for many small, poor countries, as they not only rely on the Banana economically, but as a staple food as well. Check out this months New Scientist.

"...the International Network..."

"...for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain?!"

And here I was worrying that the world was in trouble. Now I can sleep at night.

Duh!

they are only able to reproduce asexually

Of course they reproduce asexually, who has ever seen two bananas humping eachother?

Re:Fruit! ...so to speak.

There's evidently an australian children's show called "Bananas in Pajamas," which has some rather nightmarish [angelfire.com] homoerotic(?) overtones.


You're not kidding; in fact the theme song goes "Bananas in pajamas are coming down the stairs."

Powerful fruit indeed.

Re:Opensourced banana

General Plantain Licence or Banana Source Disclosure?

Doom and gloom in the world of nanas

When my alarm clock went off this morning, BBC Radio 1 news was in full soothsayer mode, foretelling how bananas will be wiped out by disease in ten years if nothing is done. Horrified, I hit snooze.

According to a trivia game I was playing the other day, the banana is a herb, not fruit. Go figure.

Re:Doom and gloom in the world of nanas

Actually the banana plant is the worlds largest herb... the banana is still fruit ;) And they cross breed bananas all the time. You can buy Apple Bananas which are smaller, fatter and sweeter... Ahh the knowledge I have gained from having a dad who sells bananas :)

Re:Doom and gloom in the world of nanas

Banana -
(Musa sapientum) Technically speaking, the banana is a herb due to the
fact it is part of the flower made by the female plant. Botanically speaking,
it's a berry, due to the fact it's a fruit that developes from a plant ovary and
has little seeds.

The problem of asexually reproducing crops

The kind of bananas the we buy in our stores are triploid hybrids. This means that they are sterile and produce no seeds. They are reproduced from cuttings of the creeping underground stem, the 'banana trees' are actually upshoot from this.

They downside is that all cuttings are genetically identical, so if a new disease or pest comes along, ALL commercial bananas are threatened. With other crops, crossbreeding with other strains can improve the resistance to the pests.

Introducing resistance genes in commercial bananas can only be done by genetic engineering. Remember that there are still wild sexually reproducing bananas out there, so maybe we will be eating hybrids of other species in the future.

Re:The problem of asexually reproducing crops

Remember that there are still wild sexually reproducing bananas out there

You wouldn't have a link to their site, would you?

I'm confused

Because bananas are triploidal instead of diploidal, they are only able to reproduce asexually, which means that it adapts slower than organisms reproducing sexually.

Is there any other plant in the world that reproduces sexually?

Re:I'm confused

Any plants with flowers are examples of sexual reproduction in plants. The pollen of one flower being transferred to the stamen of another by insects is an example of sexual reproduction.

Genes are combined from two different sets to produce a single gene set and a new seed (now that's sexual).

Re:I'm confused

There seems to be a bit of confusion caused by the terms diploid and triploid.
These terms refer to the number of sets of chromosomes each cell of an organism carries. Diploid is like us with 2 sets triploid is predictably 3 sets. Having 3 sets of chroromsomes is no problem untill you have to half the chrosomme number in making gametes (sperms, egg, pollen etc) A triploid organism can't make viable gametes, so is sterile.

Not all Bananas are triploid though, we reproduce triploid ones because not bothering with reproduction they are more vigorous in there growth and wont make seeds. Seedless watermelons are triploid and there are even (engineered) triploid carp, used to clear weed from lakes etc but denied the chance to reproduce and start a population

banana in your pocket

Hey Emile Frison, is that a banana in your pocket or are you just the director of the International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain?

This is bad for the MPAA

Once they find and patent the banana's "funny" gene, slapstick comedy movie production prices will go through the roof...

no royalties?

'One rule of joining the consortium is that any invention developed through the project and protected [by patent] will be made available to smallholders through a royalty-free license,'

Do they know to beware clever ideas put forward by the biochemists from the Rambus contingent?

Knock Knock

Now we can finally update that tired knock-knock joke:

Knock, Knock!

Who's there?
GCACCAATGCACCTGAAGCTCAGCTTAA...
GCACCAATG CACCTGAAGCTCAGCTTAA... who?
Knock, Knock!
Who's there?
GCACCAATGCACCTGAAGCTCAGCTTAA...
GCACCAATG CACCTGAAGCTCAGCTTAA... who?
Knock, Knock!
Who's there?
GCACCAATGCACCTGAAGCTCAGCTTAA...
GCACCAATG CACCTGAAGCTCAGCTTAA... who?
Knock, Knock!
Who's there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you glad I didn't say GCACCAATGCACCTGAAGCTCAGCTTAA... again?

Abrosial Wild bananas

What crazy westerner decided that everyone prefers the typical banana? I happily munched wild bananas while trekking in Northern Thailand and goddam they're like a different fruit. Unimaginably sweet, fragrant...amazing - like nectar. Not the bland lumps sold in UK supermarkets. They are small (offending western male self-perception) and probably don't travel well so thank-you evil corporations for 'deciding' that we prefer this genetically weak alternative so they can make a buck. I hope they DO die out and we 'stuck' with REAL bananas. Zu.

super-banana

You fall down just looking at it.

Here is the proper sequence

Dish > Banana > Ice cream > Chocolate syrup > Whipped cream > Sprinkles > Cherries > Spoon

mmmmm...

The things you learn about bananas

Who would have thought that one of the most phallic foods was sterile and asexual?

-Esme

Triploidy \neq Asexual reproduction

It is not simply true that triploidal plants and animals have to replicate asexual. Cultivated bananas indeed do have 3 chromosomes of each of the 11 different chromosomes available. During meiosis, when two possible parent plants are creating gametes (think of sperm and eggs) by splitting cells with 3 chromosomes of each type into cells with either 1 or 2 of the 3 chromomes.

In the next step, such gametes need to be fertilized, i.e., 2 cells, just like a sperm cell and egg cell, need to be fertilized and merged together. If this results in a cell with 3 chromosomes of each chromosome type, a new banana child can grow from this. But since gametes contain 1 or 2 of each type of chromosome, and they have 11 such types, there is only a 1/2^11 change that this sexual reproduction is succesful.

Note that this only applies to the cultivated banana, as we know it from the super market. And you've probably never eaten a banana with pits in it. Bananas with pits exist, but there's only one in about 2048. These bananas can be used to create new banana trees, and they're different from their not-succesful bananas in that they are a lot smaller, and not edible, if compared to common cultivated bananas.

What will we do if it went extinct?

I think I'd go mad.

Bananas even.

Nice story, but wrong

Genetic engineering is great, but no necessary for creating a better banana. The Honduran Foundation for Agricultural Research, known by its Spanish acronym(FHIA) has been breeding better bananas for years. Their first named banana, FHIA-01, better known as "Goldfinger" is likely to become the predominate supermarket variety in the next 10 years. I've grown it and its better than current basic supermarket varieties. For more info see http://www.idrc.ca/books/reports/V221/banana.html

Re:Nice story, but wrong

FHIA-02, also known as "Octopussy" is expected in late 2004, but may be delayed due to problems with marketing.

Straight Bananas Boring?

Frison says they won't be seeking genes that would make bananas straight. "It would take all the fun out of bananas," he says. "They'd be so boring."

I guess Frison finds gay bananas much more interesting than straight bananas.