Monday, 15 April 2013

Genetics of acclimation and adaptation to climate

A Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biotechnology Division Seminar by

By John McKay
Associate professor
Bioagricultural Sciences
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

1400-1500 H, Wednesday, 17 April 2013
Room A, D.L. Umali Building, IRRI


Abstract:

A long-standing problem and ‘grand challenge’ in modern biology is elucidation of how genes interact with variable environments to produce complex phenotypes. My goal is to understand the mechanistic basis of trait variation across multiple environments by explicitly incorporating differences in physiology that lead to genotype by environment interactions. I will present studies on dehydration avoidance in Arabidopsis thaliana, where plastic responses minimize water loss in an environment of limiting soil moisture. I will discuss some of my current research on adaptation to natural environments that differ in temperature and other aspects of climate. I am pursuing similar approaches in Brassica and rice.

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