ABSTRACT
Functional genomics technologies seek to understand the relationship between the maize genome and its phenotype, the properties and function of all the maize genes and the gene products and to interpret the natural variation that exists in maize at the gene, protein and metabolite levels during plant development and in the different parts of the plant. Recent advances in functional genomics and other inter-related “omics” technologies have provided crucial information for the optimization of maize as a bioenergy crop. This chapter reviews the molecular data that has been generated using these technologies and highlights the sources that are available to plant breeders to screen for the best maize germplasm using marker-assisted selection and to genetic engineers to manipulate the maize plant with the genes coding for traits that will improve bioethanol production.
