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Rapid-Cycling Brassica in Research and Education

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Brassica

Part of the book series: Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry ((AGRICULTURE,volume 54))

Abstract

Over the past 25 years, rapid-cycling Brassica (RCBr) stocks developed from six species have become important model organisms for research and education. Researchers and educators turn to RCBr lines for their short generation time, small size and their relevance to commercial Brassica varieties. The Wisconsin Fast Plants (WFP) Program, which utilizes RC B. rapa, has allowed millions of students to observe a complete plant life cycle while answering experimental questions about plant development, physiology, genetics and ecology. There is an increasing need for tools that will allow educators to help students bridge the conceptual gap between classical genetics and genomics. Here, we suggest that RCBr may be well suited for this role.We will discuss both research and educational applications of RCBr side by side, reflecting our belief that there need be little distance between these two important pursuits.We hope that examples presented here convince researchers studying the Brassicaceae that many discoveries can be adapted for educational use. Combining research and education can be professionally satisfying to a scientist. Also, funding agencies have increased interest in projects with meaningful educational components.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Natural Science, Long Island University, Southampton College, 239 Montauk Hwy, Southampton, New York, 11968, USA

    E. Himelblau

  2. Wisconsin Fast Plants Program, University of Wisconsin Madison, Science House, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA

    D. Lauffer

  3. College of Integrated Science & Technology, James Madison University – MSC 4101, 701 Carrier Drive, Harrisonburg, Virginia, 22807, USA

    R. Teutonico

  4. Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin Madison, 1575 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA

    T. C. Osborn

Authors
  1. E. Himelblau
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  2. D. Lauffer
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  3. R. Teutonico
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  4. J. C. Pires
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  5. T. C. Osborn
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore, Republic of Singapore

    Eng-Chong Pua

  2. Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, V6T 1 Z4, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    Carl J. Douglas

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© 2004 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Himelblau, E., Lauffer, D., Teutonico, R., Pires, J.C., Osborn, T.C. (2004). Rapid-Cycling Brassica in Research and Education. In: Pua, EC., Douglas, C.J. (eds) Brassica. Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry, vol 54. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-06164-0_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-06164-0_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-05783-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-06164-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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