Thellungiella parvula is an extremophile relative of the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana able to survive on extremely saline soils. As such comparisons of the Thellungialla parvula genome with other crucifers can reveal genomic changes necessary for environmental stress tolerance. A better understanding of stress tolerance can eventually lead to better and more resistant crops.

Publication:
The genome of the extremophile crucifer Thellungiella parvula. Nature Genetics 43, 913-918 (2011).