Advancing Wheat Science for a Changing World
We uncover the evolutionary and molecular foundations of genetic diversity and disease resistance to enable climate-resilient and sustainable wheat improvement.
What we do
Wheat genomics & evolution
Wheat genomics & evolution
Genetic diversity analysis
Genetic diversity analysis
Introgression mapping
Introgression mapping
Gene flow dynamics
Gene flow dynamics
Disease resistance genetics
Disease resistance genetics
Rust resistance research
Rust resistance research
Functional & computational genomics
Functional & computational genomics
Climate-resilient crop innovation
Climate-resilient crop innovation
RESEARCH FOCUS
We use genomic, genetics, bioinformatics, molecular biology, and phenomics to understand wheat
RESEARCH FOCUS
We use genomic, genetics, bioinformatics, molecular biology, and phenomics to understand wheat
RESEARCH FOCUS
We use genomic, genetics, bioinformatics, molecular biology, and phenomics to understand wheat
Genetic Diversity and Genome Evolution in Wheat
Wheat is the world’s most widely cultivated crop and a cornerstone of global food security. Despite emerging only ~10,000 years ago through hybridization events and passing through a severe domestication bottleneck, bread wheat rapidly adapted to diverse climates as it spread from the Fertile Crescent across the globe. Our research investigates how this rapid adaptation occurred by analyzing the structure, origin, and evolutionary dynamics of genetic diversity in wheat and its wild relatives, with a particular focus on introgression and its role in restoring diversity and enabling adaptation.
Introgression mapping
Map and quantify historic and recent gene flow from wild relatives across global wheat diversity panels.
Introgression mapping
Map and quantify historic and recent gene flow from wild relatives across global wheat diversity panels.
Gene flow dynamics
Dissect the spatial and temporal patterns of genetic exchange during wheat evolution.
Gene flow dynamics
Dissect the spatial and temporal patterns of genetic exchange during wheat evolution.
Adaptive trait discovery
Link introgressed haplotypes to key agronomic and adaptive traits, including disease resistance.
Adaptive trait discovery
Link introgressed haplotypes to key agronomic and adaptive traits, including disease resistance.
Diversity for breeding
Unlock untapped genetic variation from wild relatives to support climate-resilient wheat improvement.
Diversity for breeding
Unlock untapped genetic variation from wild relatives to support climate-resilient wheat improvement.
Genetic and Molecular Basis of Durable Disease Resistance
Fungal pathogens, particularly rust diseases, pose a major and ongoing threat to global wheat production, with significant annual yield losses. While the wheat genome encodes many resistance genes, most are quickly overcome by evolving pathogens. Our research focuses on uncovering the genetic and molecular mechanisms that underpin durable resistance, combining genomics, gene cloning, and functional approaches to move toward long-lasting, system-level disease protection in wheat and other cereal crops.
Resistance gene discovery
Clone and characterize disease resistance genes to understand their function and durability.
Resistance gene discovery
Clone and characterize disease resistance genes to understand their function and durability.
Genetic architecture of durability
Investigate how genetic context and gene combinations contribute to long-lasting resistance.
Genetic architecture of durability
Investigate how genetic context and gene combinations contribute to long-lasting resistance.
Non-host resistance
Dissect the genetic and molecular basis of species-wide resistance to entire pathogen groups.
Non-host resistance
Dissect the genetic and molecular basis of species-wide resistance to entire pathogen groups.
Translational resistance design
Apply mechanistic insights to enable knowledge-guided engineering of durable resistance in crops.
Translational resistance design
Apply mechanistic insights to enable knowledge-guided engineering of durable resistance in crops.
PUBLICATIONS
