The production of genetically modified grasses requires risk assessment and ecological impact analyses. Most grasses are open cross-pollinating plants and thus provide an excellent model system for gene flow studies within and among plant populations.
The impact of transgene flow to wild-type related species on ecological systems is a major public concern. My research program has three major objectives:
Develop an efficient in-house transformation system for Lolium species
Identify methods and approaches that limit transgene escape from genetically modified grasses
Evaluate transgene stability in grasses and methods for enhancing it.