A real favourite among fans of beer and whiskey, barley (Hordeum vulgare) is one of the world’s oldest cultivated grains and is a close relative of wheat and rye. It is widely grown today for food, animal feed, and, of course, brewing. Barley’s two-row and six-row varieties influence everything from grain structure to malt character, helping define the unique flavour profiles of beers and whiskeys. But barley isn’t just for brewers, it’s also a valuable tool in scientific research. With its relatively compact genome, short life cycle, and tolerance to varied environments, barley is a powerful model for studying cereal crop development and plant-microbe interactions. Its utility in the lab makes it an ideal testing ground for discoveries that ultimately benefit field-grown crops.
