On Mar. 23. 2023, scientists at the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment in Paris announced they had sequenced the faba bean genome. Vicia faba L., commonly referred to as ‘faba bean’ or ‘broad bean’, is known for its protein-rich seeds and its yield potential in agriculture. It is used for human consumption as well as for animal feed.

Reconstructing the genome sequence of faba bean was a challenge as it consists of 13 billion nucleobases, at least 4 times larger than the human genome.