Chemical genetic screens using Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings grown on solid medium.

Genetic screening has been a powerful tool in identifying new genes in a pathway of interest (forward genetics) or attributing function to a particular gene via mutagenesis (reverse genetics). Small molecule-based chemical genetics is increasingly adapted in Arabidopsis research as a tool for similar purposes, i.e., to identify genes involved in certain biological processes and to dissect the biological roles of a gene. Chemical genetic screens have been successful in circumventing genetic redundancy to assign biological roles to a gene family as well as novel functions for well-known genes. Here, we describe how to screen Arabidopsis seedlings grown on solid medium with chemical compounds.