Researchers chart papaya gene map

Not many papaya trees in the fields around Champaign-Urbana to be sure, but a University of Illinois professor was in the middle of the event when scientists unveiled a landmark draft of the papaya's gene map this week.

The papaya genome already is revealing new information about angiosperms – or flowering plants, a category that goes far beyond the melonlike tropical fruit rich in vitamins A and C – and the gene map should be a font of knowledge particularly as it relates to sex determination in those plants, UI Professor Ray Ming said.

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