Maize DNA (Light Background)
 
Maize, a cereal grain that originated in Mexico, used for human consumption, animal feed and biofuels is the world’s leading crop production-wise. 
 
Because of its tremendous economic importance, and to secure our global food supply, maize research is critical to ensure adequate production including development of improved yield and varieties that are resistant to disease and environmental stress.
 
The multi-color deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in a maize cell nucleus that was imaged with a “super-resolution” microscope (a Nobel Prize winning technology) to learn how the plant cell processes its genetic code to create different kinds of tissues.
 
This work was part of a collaboration between Dr. Kevin Cox and the Dr. Blake Meyers Lab with Dr. Anastasiya Klebanovych and Dr. Kirk Czymmek in the Advanced Bioimaging Laboratory at the Danforth Center