Research Projects

This work is aimed at identifying genes that showed altered expression profiles in response to changes in ploidy and/or reproductive mode (from sexual to apomictic) in the guinea grass. RNA sequencing from series of ploidies 3x, 4x, 5x, 6x, 7x, 8x, 9x and 11x including obligate apomictic and sexual plants and Gene Coexpression Network Analysis (GCNA) will be performed. Using these ploidy series, genome-dosage effects on morphological, cytological, and breeding traits will be investigated in general, and expression of apomixis and its individual components, in particular. Independent comparison between plants with different reproduction-mode (same ploidy) or different ploidy level (same reproductive-mode) will allow identification of genes modulating in response to apomictic development or polyploidization, respectively. Differentially regulated genes would be identified, cloned and characterized to take up molecular biology approaches to engineer apomixis in other sexual crops.