"Genomics is much, much more than biotechnology," Woodson says. "Understanding the genome of a crop or animal doesn't always mean we'll modify the organism's genes. Once we know what every gene in an organism does, following a trait through a traditional breeding program becomes much, much easier. If you're wanting to increase disease resistance in plants or animals, for xample, you don't have to grow the plants or animals to maturity and subject them to years of testing to see if the trait is there. You can look at their DNA and know whether it's there or not.“

Randy Woodson, director of Purdue University's Office of Agricultural Research Programs.