Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): a new paradigm in molecular marker technology and DNA polymorphism detection with emphasis on their use in plants

Molecular markers are useful for a variety of purposes relevant to crop improvement. The most important of these uses is the indirect marker­ assisted selection (MAS) exercised during plant breeding. For this purpose, molecular markers need to be amenable to automation and high throughput approaches. However, the gel-based assays that are needed for most molecular markers are time con­ suming and expensive, limiting their utility. The new...