Xenogenomics: Bioprospecting for Genetic Determinants of Cold and Freezing Stress Tolerance in the Cryophilic Antarctic Hair Grass Deschampsia antarctica E. Desv

The world’s plant based agriculture is based on a very small proportion of the total number of vascular plant species. Some non-domesticated species inhabit extreme environments and are uniquely adapted to a range of abiotic stresses including: salinity, drought, temperature extremes, nutrient deprivation, and metal toxicity. However very little of this genetic diversity can be exploited by conventional breeding, nor have many of these species been subjects of genomics programs. We have coined the term ‘Xenogenomics’ to describe structural and functional genomics specifically targeting non-model and non-crop plants with enhanced tolerance to abiotic stresses, for the discovery of novel genes, gene variants and promoters that can be employed to enhance these characteristics in agronomically important plant species.