Mission:
The primary mission of the Laboratory is to improve the quality of soybean, common bean and wheat and to reduce the costs of production of these crops. This is being accomplished by 1) developing molecular genetic markers and genome maps to position important genes controlling seed quality, pest resistance, abiotic stress resistance, and productivity; 2) discovering and defining the function and interaction of genes that control important plant characteristics such as disease resistance and seed quality; 3) increasing the knowledge of the genetics, molecular biology, and breeding procedures; and 4) enhancing nodulation, predictability and efficiency of symbiotic nitrogen fixation via the use of unique plant germplasm in combination with selected and genetically engineered strains of rhizobia. An additional Laboratory mission is to provide electron microscopy support to collaborating scientists at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center.