Rod Wing, PhD, and his lab, The Arizona Genomics Institute, specialize in building what geneticists call a physical map of a genome- a crucial foundation of any genome sequencing effort. AGI has earned a reputation for providing extremely high-quality maps, as documented in previous sequencing efforts leading to the genome sequences of rice and corn. The genome sequence will allow scientists to locate and identify genes that can improve and strengthen crops and increase yield in order to help solve the Earth’s looming food crisis by creating new strains of the cereal crops that make up 60% of humankind’s diet. Keywords: Genome Biology, Genome Sequencing/Assembly/Annotation, Food Security, Rice