Grain crops are what feeds most of the world, but they're also one of the most complex plants as far as genetics go, making research on their characteristics difficult.
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Michigan Tech biologist is working on a way to advance the study of grain genetics, with the help of a $2.5 million National Science Foundation grant and colleagues at Kansas State University and the University of California at Riverside.
Guiliang Tang, who joined the Tech biology faculty in 2011, will head the project, which aims to undertake a three-year study of the key genetic processes for corn, rice, and soy plants. They hope to identify genes that can help agricultural scientists develop crops with higher yields and greater pest and drought resistance.
Tang plans to use a new technology he has pioneered that gives his team a way to block small snippets of RNA in the plants from acting. The tool, called a small tandem target mimic, should allow different genes in the plants to be expressed depending on which RNA molecules are blocked. Part of the grant also will fund workshops in which Tang will introduce that technology to students in other U.S. universities.
Writer: Kim Eggleston
Source: Michigan Technological University
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