The development of Arabidopsis as a model plant

Abstract

SUMMARYTwenty-five years ago, Arabidopsis thaliana emerged as the model organism of choice for research in plant biology. A consensus was reached about the need to focus on a single organism to integrate the classical disciplines of plant science with the expanding fields of genetics and molecular biology. Ten years after publication of its genome sequence, Arabidopsis remains the standard reference plant for all of biology. We reflect here on the major advances and shared resources that led to the extraordinary growth of the Arabidopsis research community. We also underscore the importance of continuing to expand and refine our detailed knowledge of Arabidopsis while seeking to appreciate the remarkable diversity that characterizes the plant kingdom.

Global data for local science: Assessing the scale of data infrastructures in biological and biomedical research

“…This constitutes a surprising exception in the competitive context of biological research, and of molecular biology in particular. Since the early 1980s, when Arabidopsis was re-discovered as a model organism and research efforts on it acquired momentum, prominent Arabidopsis researchers agreed that the data acquired through research on this model organism should be kept freely available (Leonelli 2007, Koorneef andMeinke 2010). Many biologists and research institutions involved in Arabidopsis research continue to foster this ethos.…”

“…Further, the database should contain a set of tools for data retrieval and data analysis, which would facilitate the integration of all those data. Finally, the database should enable users to integrate Arabidopsis data with data extracted from other plant species, thus paving the way for developments in plant science as a whole (Rhee et al 2006, 352) Thanks also to the success of Arabidopsis as a model organism (Leonelli 2007, Koorneef andMeinke 2010), TAIR indeed became a reference point for plant researchers across the globe, assembling an impressive array of datasets concerning disparate aspects of Arabidopsis biology, ranging from morphology to metabolic pathways. The database includes various search and visualisation tools elaborated by the TAIR team to help plant scientists in retrieving and interpreting Arabidopsis data.…”

The tomato genome: implications for plant breeding, genomics and evolution

“…Arabidopsis has served as a model plant for basic plant research due to its small size, self-pollination, short life cycle, ease of propagation and genetic transformation [32]. Additionally, its small genome and the availability of its genome sequence made it a favorite for genetic and molecular studies.…”

Statistical analysis of nonlinear dynamical systems using differential geometric sampling methods

“…Arabidopsis thaliana is widely accepted in plant biology as a model plant worthy of close and careful study [32]. Although its genetic networks are much simpler than higher organisms, it is still complex enough to offer much insight into a large variety of biologically interesting mechanisms of biochemical interaction, such as negative feedback loops that induce nonlinear oscillatory behaviour.…”