Scientists used the water lily genome to uncover how the earliest flowering plants evolved, then applied those ancient genetic blueprints to engineer practical improvements in crops — including flood-tolerant grains and flowers with new colors and scents.
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Water lily genomes preserve ancestral flowering plant traits that shed light on how the first angiosperms evolved and adapted to aquatic environments.
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Ancient genetic networks from water lilies are being applied to engineer cereal crops with stolon-based lateral spread, potentially improving ground coverage and yield.
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Flood-tolerance genes identified in water lilies are being introduced into terrestrial crops to help them survive waterlogging, a growing problem under shifting climate patterns.
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