Award details

Genome and Epigenome

Reference	BBS/E/J/000PR9773
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Xiaoqi Feng
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Professor Michael Bevan, Dr Kirsten Bomblies, Professor Enrico Coen, Professor Dame Caroline Dean, Professor Martin Howard, Dr Vinod Kumar, Professor Lars Ostergaard, Dr Levi Yant, Professor Daniel Zilberman
Institution	John Innes Centre
Department	John Innes Centre Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	8,526,008
Status	Current
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/2017
End date	31/03/2023
Duration	59 months

Abstract

This project aims to understand how genomes are regulated and give rise to phenotypes, and how genomes evolve in response to varied growing environments and adapt to duplication and hybridization. Key outcomes include deeper understanding of the mechanisms of heredity, including how genome regulation and genetic variation contribute to phenotypic variation, including multi-genic variation that underlies complex yield-related phenotypes. We will also identify new avenues for breeding using knowledge of how meiosis, recombination and polyploidy shape genomes. This will enable new ways of exploiting wild germplasm and improve understanding of the genomic and phenotypic consequences of new hybrid and polyploid formation. With respect to wheat, this project will meet key research needs identified by the “wheat strategy working group” for the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). These include unlocking the potential of wheat genome resources by understanding regulation of its polyploid genome. The genomic foundations of this work, accurate long-range sequence assembly of multiple wheat lines, have already been established in collaborations with EI and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL). This work strengthens a variety of key research partnerships. Nationally these include the DFW National Wheat Programme, EI and the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI). Internationally this supports work in the International Wheat Yield Partnership (IWYP) and CIMMYT. These outcomes map directly onto the BBSRC Strategic Research Priority Agriculture and Food Security, Research Councils UK (RCUK) priorities in Global Food Security, and the Government’s Agri-technology Strategy, because they will accelerate the discovery of useful new genetic variation for crop improvement and facilitate the rapid and precise integration of new germplasm and genetic variation into crop plants. This will establish new ways of working with researchers and plant breeders, and provide important new opportunities for academic and commercial innovation in crop improvement.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Not funded via Committee
Research Topics	Crop Science, Plant Science
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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