Nigel Taylor, Ph.D., Plant Tissue Culture, University of Bath, UK
Oliver Yu, Ph.D.,
Xeumin (Sam) Wang, Ph.D., Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Kentucky
Cassava to feed the developing world: The tropical root crop cassava (Manihot esculenta) is of central importance to food security and local economies throughout the tropics, most especially in Africa. Transgenic technologies hold great potential for improving the economic and nutritional wellbeing of resource-poor farmers in these regions, for whom cassava is a dietary staple. Research in the Taylor group and as a component of the International Laboratory for Tropical Agricultural Biotechnology (ILTAB), focuses on developing technologies required to produce genetically enhanced cassava plants expressing genes which confer resistance to virus diseases and enhance the nutritional value of cassava storage roots. Central to these efforts is research to discover improved morphogenic plant tissue culture systems from parental varieties and to increase our understanding of the genetic elements controlling transgene integration and expression within the cassava plant. Building partnerships with African research organizations, training African scientists and transferring the above technologies to laboratories in sub-Saharan Africa remain central to our goal of delivering enhanced cassava to farmers in the tropics.
Updates from our Scientists
Genetics and Plant Physiology, University of South Carolina
Understanding natural nitrogen fertilization:
Cell signaling networks for improving plant production: Most, if not all, cellular responses to growth and stress cues are initiated at cell membranes. Research in the Wang lab investigates the membrane-based signaling cascades that mediate plant response to environmental and nutrient stresses, and regulate oil accumulation. The main focus is to understand how membrane lipids and associated metabolizing enzymes function as cellular mediators. One of the ongoing projects is to study the role of phospolipases in producing lipid messengers in plant response to water defi cits and nitrogen availability. Another is to investigate the metabolism and function of oxidative modifi cations of complex membrane lipids in plant response to abiotic stresses. Translational studies are targeted at traits with potential to improve plant biomass and vegetable oil production with minimal environmental impacts.
Nitrogen is the main component of synthetic fertilizers for crops. Worldwide, the production of nitrogen fertilizers consumes approximately 5% of global natural gas and 2% of all energy produced. Biological nitrogen fi xation can reduce the application of fertilizers drastically and plays an important role in the nitrogen cycling in the biosphere. Research in the Yu lab focuses on legume rhizobia symbiosis, which is the major contributor to biological nitrogen fi xation. Rhizobia are a small group of soil-borne bacteria that can colonize the roots of legume plants, induce host plants to form a specifi c structure called root nodules, and reduce atmosphere nitrogen gas into ammonia inside these nodules. The establishment of this symbiotic relationship requires extensive signaling between the plants and bacteria. Many steps and components of early signaling events are still unclear. We recently discovered that specifi c fl avonoid compounds and miroRNAs play essential roles in the nodulation process. Understanding their functions is crucial for deciphering the mechanisms of symbiosis.
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