Individual research project scientists, titles, durations, and objectives for the Plant Genetics Research Unit, Columbia, MO, include:

Bruce E. Hibbard, Lead Scientist

Plant Resistance, Biology, and Resistance Management of Insect Pests of Corn

6/03/2005 to 6/02/2010

Develop and release corn germplasm with native resistance to major corn insect pests and dissect genetic and chemical mechanisms of resistance. Investigate the biology, pest/host interactions, and chemical ecology of major corn insect pests, especially as they relate to resistance management.

Jan A. Miernyk, Lead Scientist; Hari B. Krishnan, Paul R. Beuselinck; and Kristin D. Bilyeu

Modification of Soybean Seed Composition for Food, Feed, and Other Industrial Uses

3/20/2006 to 3/19/2011

The long-term goal of this Objective is to develop soybean seeds that have increased oil levels derived at the expense of non-structural carbohydrates. Molecular biology techniques will be used to improve the nutritional quality of soybean seed proteins. To develop the molecular basis for modification of the fatty acid components of soybean oil and anti-nutritional components in soybean meal to use in accelerated breeding programs. Identify effects on key performance determinants of crop seed quality resulting from modified seed composition using traditional or non-traditional genetic methods.

Eliot M. Herman, Lead Scientist; and Edgar B. Cahoon

(Located at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, MO)

Soybean protein, oil, and other nutritive factors

6/09/2004 to 8/31/2006

Develop new genetic, genomic, and proteomic methods to improve productivity and seed value, and demonstrate their applicability to soybean. Through fundamental research at the Danforth Center and through cooperative linkages with more applied geneticists elsewhere in ARS, enhance seed value of soybean by improving protein, oil, and or nutritional content.

Michael D. McMullen, Lead Scientist, Sherry Flint-Garcia, and Mel Oliver

Genetic mechanisms and molecular genetic resources for corn

2/28/2002 to 8/31/2006

Advance knowledge of corn biology by developing and enabling procedures for information-rich, high-throughput genetic analysis and comprehension. Determine the genetic mechanisms and identify key genes involved with regulation of metabolic pathways that control agronomic traits for corn. Develop and use genetic relatedness and association tests to classify corn germplasm and identify and test candidate genes for agronomic traits for corn.

J. Perry Gustafson, Lead Scientist

Genomic characterization and manipulation of aluminum tolerance and other value-added traits in wheat

9/18/2003 to 6/17/2008

Identify and characterize the genes in wheat and rye that control the expression of aluminum (Al) tolerance in cereals. Characterize the syntenic relationship among the genes controlling aluminum tolerance in the various cereal species. Characterize the mechanism of gene/genome silencing, which occurs when genes of different cereal species are placed into an alien background. Produce and characterize modern genetic and cytogenetic stocks, and derive DNA sequences from those stocks for use in cereal improvement.