Chinese scientists have successfully completed the world's first detailed map of indica rice genome.

Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) academician Zhu Zuoyan announced Thursday the task had been achieved by scientists working in the CAS Genomics and Bioinformatics Institute.

Zhu said about 60,000 genes were calculated in the detailed map of indica rice genome. This would lay a good foundation for separating out characteristics such as disease resistance and high production as well as quality.

On October 12, 2001, the CAS, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the State Development Planning Commission jointly announced that China had completed the "working draft" on rice genome.

Dr. Yu Jun, deputy director of the Genomics and Bioinformatics Institute, said the fulfillment of the detailed map of indica rice genome could provide a great deal of urgently-needed data for scientists who were engaged in botany and biology.

(Xinhua News Agency December 16, 2002)