Dr. Niedz is a Research Geneticist conducting research on the development and application of cellular and molecular breeding methods for citrus scion and rootstock variety improvement.  These methods are used to transfer known sources of resistance to diseases, pests, and environmental stresses, to improve the horticultural quality of the fruit and tree, and to develop populations suitable for the genetic characterization of these traits in citrus.  Specific objectives include methods to develop seedless citrus, methods to control tree size for efficient production and harvesting, and methods to regenerate trees from high value cell types, tissues, or organs (e.g., immature pollen grains) for citrus genomic studies and mutant isolation.