“Biochemists have been curious for decades about how plants have evolved to become one of the richest sources of chemical diversity on Earth,” said co-lead author Professor Ian Graham, from the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products, Department of Biology at the University of York.“Using high quality genome assembly, our study has deciphered how this has happened in the opium poppy.”“At the same time this research will provide the foundation for the development of molecular plant breeding tools that can be used to ensure there is a reliable and cheap supply of the most effective painkillers available for pain relief and...