Plant biology in the future

In the beginning of modern plant biology, plant biologists followed a simpl e model for their science. This model included important branches of plant biology known then. Of course, plants had to be identified and classified f irst. Thus, there was much work on taxonomy, genetics, and physiology. Ecol ogy and evolution were approached implicitly, rather than explicitly, throu gh paleobotany, taxonomy, morphology, and historical geography. However, th e burgeoning explosion of knowledge and great advances in molecular biology , e.g., to the extent that genes for specific traits can be added (or delet ed) at will, have created a revolution in the study of plants. Genomics in agriculture has made it possible to address many important issues in crop p roduction by the identification and manipulation of genes in crop plants. T he current model of plant study differs from the previous one in that it pl aces greater emphasis on developmental controls and on evolution by differe ntial fitness. In a rapidly changing environment, the current model also ex plicitly considers the phenotypic variation among individuals on which sele ction operates. These are calls for the unity of science. In fact, the prop onents of "Complexity Theory" think there are common algorithms describing all levels of organization, from atoms all the way to the structure of the universe, and that when these are discovered, the issue of scaling will be greatly simplified! Plant biology must seriously contribute to, among other things, meeting the nutritional needs of the human population. This challe nge constitutes a key part of the backdrop against which future evolution w ill occur. Genetic engineering technologies are and will continue to be an important component of agriculture; however, we must consider the evolution ary implications of these new technologies. Meeting these demands requires drastic changes in the undergraduate curriculum. Students of biology should be trained in molecular, cellular, organismal, and ecosystem biology, incl uding all living organisms.