REU - Field of Genomes

1. Crop genetics and genomics (Jose Gonzalez Hernandez – Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Department).

The students will use molecular and genomic tools to increase our knowledge of perennial grasses as bioenergy crops, and will be introduced into the development of molecular breeding resources such molecular markers and their application, as well as genomic studies including transcriptome profiling using ‘Next Generation’ sequencing technologies. Student projects will include genetic studies to determine the control of important traits such as yield, chemical composition, nutrient efficiency, and disease resistance. Students can also participate in the development of a genetic transformation protocol in prairie cordgrass with the goal to introduce genes of interest such as cellulosic enzymes to facilitate the biomass processing, and as tool for functional genomic studies.

2. Breeding of oat cultivars (Melanie Caffe – Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Department).

Goal of the oat breeding program at SDSU is to release new oat cultivars that are more profitable for producers and benefit consumers by improved nutritional quality. The REU students will design and conduct experiments relevant to the goal of the breeding program, and that are either related to improved quality or agronomic traits. The student will be trained in the use of technologies such as Near Infra-Red (NIR) spectrometry, measurement of beta-glucan by enzymatic methods, screening for fungal disease such as crown rusts, assessment of grain milling quality and marker assisted selection. Because plant breeding is multi-disciplinary and requires interactions between many scientific disciplines, such as genetics, agronomy, pathology, cereal chemistry, plant molecular physiology, statistics and soil science, the students will experience “first-hand” the importance of inter-disciplinary research in science.

3. Winter wheat breeding (Sunish Sehgal – Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Department).

The major focus of the SDSU winter wheat breeding program is (1) the development of new varieties with improved yield and end-use quality, (2) the identification of genetic and genomic factors that control these traits, and (3) the accumulation of favorable alleles/genes in elite lines for genetic improvement of wheat. The REU students will work on mutant characterization for several traits from wheat TILLING populations, and will be exposed to various breeding techniques in field and greenhouse from emasculations to pollinations, selections, recording data on agronomic traits, disease ratings, data processing and analysis of breeding data. The students will perform DNA isolations, quantifications and pooling of DNA from TILLING populations followed by PCR amplification and sequencing of the products to identify mutants for several candidate genes like herbicide tolerance.