Bread wheat is grown on over 95% of the
wheat growing area and its sequence holds the key to genetic improvements
that will allow growers to meet the increasing demands for high quality
food and feed produced in an environmentally sensitive, sustainable, and
profitable manner. Further, because of its recent history, hexaploid
wheat is a
very good model to study polyploidy, a driving force for plant genome
evolution.
The IWGSCwas
established by a group of plant scientists, breeders, and growers dedicated
to sequencing the wheat genome to enhance our knowledge of the structure
and function of the wheat genome. By gaining increased understanding of
the biology of agronomically important traits and deploying state-of-the-art
molecular tools, plant scientists and breeders will be able to accelerate
wheat improvement to meet the challenges
of the 21st century. The Consortium is committed to ensuring that the sequence
of the wheat genome and the resulting DNA-based tools are available for
all to use without restriction.
The IWGSCis governed by six co-chairs, a Coordinating Committee, and an executive director. The Coordinating Committee consists of representatives from laboratories involved in the development of resources and projects for sequencing and annotating the wheat genome, or from organizations providing direct funding for the consortium. General membership in the consortium is open to any individual, laboratory, or entity with an active interest in meeting the objectives of the IWGSC.
To achieve the vision of a sequenced
wheat genome, the IWGSCestablishes strategic
plans with
short- and mid-term goals, defines areas of coordination,
facilitates and coordinates research projects and
funding efforts at the national and international levels, develops and
supports the design of research proposals, provides a framework for the
establishment of common guidelines, protocols, and resources, and organizes
scientific meetings and workshops.