Biology in Bloom: A Primer on the Arabidopsis thaliana Model System

Andrew W Woodward; Bonnie Bartel

doi:10.1534/genetics.118.300755

Biology in Bloom: A Primer on the Arabidopsis thaliana Model System

Genetics. 2018 Apr;208(4):1337-1349. doi: 10.1534/genetics.118.300755.

Authors

Andrew W Woodward^{1

2}, Bonnie Bartel³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biology, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Belton, Texas 76513.
² Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005.
³ Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005 bartel@rice.edu.

Abstract

Arabidopsis thaliana could have easily escaped human scrutiny. Instead, Arabidopsis has become the most widely studied plant in modern biology despite its absence from the dinner table. Pairing diminutive stature and genome with prodigious resources and tools, Arabidopsis offers a window into the molecular, cellular, and developmental mechanisms underlying life as a multicellular photoautotroph. Many basic discoveries made using this plant have spawned new research areas, even beyond the verdant fields of plant biology. With a suite of resources and tools unmatched among plants and rivaling other model systems, Arabidopsis research continues to offer novel insights and deepen our understanding of fundamental biological processes.

Keywords: model organism; reference plant.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Arabidopsis / physiology*
Biology*
Genetic Association Studies
Humans
Models, Biological
Molecular Biology
Research
Signal Transduction

Grants and funding

R01 GM079177/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States