IRRI sharing data on rice with the world

THE INTERNATIONAL Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is sharing with the world the genome sequences of more than 3,000 rice varieties through the international treaty on plant genetic resources.

According to the Laguna-based research hub, the move supports plans to set up a global data exchange system, dubbed Global Information System on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

“We can’t expect every program, every gene bank in the world to redesign their databases to match some international standard,” IRRI director general Robert Zeigler said in a statement on Thursday.

“What we need is… to create portals where everyone’s databases can talk to another,” Zeigler said.

The plan was announced as governments and organizations across the globe are storing genetic material in seed banks, although there is no single gateway to genetic resource data.

For example, the Norway-run Svalbard Global Seed Vault north of the Arctic Circle now holds at least 860,000 food crop seeds from all over the world.

The various efforts make it difficult for researchers and plant breeders to know what is held where and what genetic resources are contained in the seeds.

“The genetic information IRRI is making available to us… is a hugely generous  show of support for our endeavors to make all relevant information on genetic resources on plant crops available for food security,” international treaty secretary Shakeel Bhatti said.

According to IRRI, a genome sequence—each rice plant has about 400 million “letters” in its genome sequence—is like an in-built instruction book that tells living organisms how to grow and react to the environment.

“To have so much information on rice, which is the basic food for half the world’s population, placed at the fingertips of everyone is a major step in securing food security for future generations,” Bhatti said.