Progress 11/15/06 to 11/14/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: One Ph.D. Fellow, Jon Massman, has completed his Ph.D. studies and a second Ph.D. Fellow, Liana Nice, will finish her Ph.D. studies in 2013. Massman was advised by PI Bernardo and conducted his Ph.D. research on genomewide selection and prediction for maize yield, agronomic traits, and stover quality for cellulosic ethanol. Nice is advised by co-PI Muehlbauer and is conducting research on the genetics of wild barley for the improvement of cultivated barley. Massman is now employed as a research scientist at Pioneer Hi-Bred International, where he investigates the use of high-throughput DNA markers in soybean breeding. Nice has completed all of her Ph.D. coursework, has passed her written Ph.D. preliminary examination, and is now supported by the USDA-funded by the Triticeae Coordinated Agricultural Project. PARTICIPANTS: Jon Massman, Liana Nice, Rex Bernardo, Gary Muehlbauer, James Anderson TARGET AUDIENCES: Graduate students and professionals in plant breeding and genetics. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Universities and plant-breeding companies will employ plant geneticists and breeders who can function in a multi-disciplinary, integrative environment that will characterize future plant improvement. These scientists will view genomes-to-cultivars as a continuous spectrum where improvements at any one point in the spectrum have an impact on other points in the continuum. Fellow Massman employment with a major seed company is tangible evidence of how our USDA NNF program is helping meet this need. Fellow Nice has been chosen as graduate student liaison to education committee of National Association of Plant Breeders (2011), and as student representative on the University of Minnesota Council of Graduate Students Representative (2011). The importance of graduate-student support for genomics and bioinformatics in cultivar development has been highlighted through the student-run Plant Breeding Symposium held each year at the University of Minnesota. We hope to leverage this prior NNF support for increased funding from both industry and the USDA for Ph.D. students.
Publications
- Nice, L.M., B.J. Steffenson, P.B. Schwarz, K.P. Smith, and G.J. Muehlbauer. 2011. Mapping yield and malting quality characteristics in an advanced backcross population of barley. Nat. Assoc. Plant Breeders annual meeting, 23-25 May 2011, College Station, TX.
- Nice, L.M., B.J. Steffenson, P.B. Schwarz, K.P. Smith, and G.J. Muehlbauer. 2012. Advanced backcross QTL mapping of yield and malt quality in a wild x cultivated barley mapping population. Plant Anim. Genome conf., 14-18 Jan. 2012. San Diego, CA.
- Bernardo, R., H.-J. Jung, J.M. Massman, M.L. Lewis, and R.E. Lorenzana. 2011. Strategies for using molecular markers to simultaneously improve corn grain yield and stover quality for cellulosic ethanol. DOE Genomics Sciences Meeting, 10-13 April 2011, Arlington, VA.
- Bernardo, R., H.-J.G. Jung, and J.M. Massman. 2011. Genomewide selection to simultaneously improve maize grain yield and stover quality for ethanol production. 22nd European Association for Plant Breeding Research (EUCARPIA) Maize Sorghum Res. Conf., 20-23 June 2011, Opatija, Croatia.
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Progress 11/15/09 to 11/14/10
Outputs
Our two Ph.D. Fellows continue to make excellent progress in their studies. Jon Massman (M.S. University of Minnesota) is advised by PI Bernardo and is conducting research on genomewide selection and prediction for maize yield, agronomic traits, and stover quality for cellulosic ethanol. Liana Nice (B.S. Cornell University) is advised by co-PI Muehlbauer and is conducting research on the genetics of wild barley for the improvement of cultivated barley. J. Massman has completed his Ph.D. preliminary examination, is analyzing and interpreting the results of his thesis experiments, plans to graduate in May 2011, and has accepted a soybean molecular-breeding position with a major seed company. L. Nice has completed all of her Ph.D. coursework, has passed her written Ph.D. preliminary examination, and expects to finish her Ph.D. studies in 2013. PRODUCTS: PI Bernardo organized a summer 2010 course, AGRO 5999: "International Industry Internships in Plant Improvement." This directed‐studies, summer internship course was designed to allow a student to (1) gain first‐hand knowledge and experience in large‐scale breeding programs that involve extensive phenotyping, genotyping, and data analysis; (2) learn about the organization of and non‐science skills needed in commercial breeding programs; and (3) experience other cultures in preparation for future careers in an international setting. OUTCOMES: Fellow J. Massman was co-chair of a student-organized plant breeding symposium (entitled "Plant Breeding: The Genomics and Post-Genomics Era") at the University of Minnesota during spring 2010. This annual symposium has allowed our graduate students and Fellows to become a more tightly knit student community and allowed them to learn first-hand from the top experts in the field. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: The importance of graduate-student support for genomics and bioinformatics in cultivar development was highlighted during the student-organized plant-breeding symposium. J. Massman and PI Bernardo presented a poster at the Plant and Animal Genome conference in San Diego in January 2010. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Our Applied Plant Sciences graduate program has successfully secured USDA NNF funding for a program entitled "Plant breeding in the era of cheap genotyping and expensive phenotyping" (3 Ph.D. students, 2010-2015, PI: J.A. Anderson). We shall seek to develop and implement practical ways by which current Fellows can help incoming Fellows have a smooth and strong start in their Ph.D. studies at the University of Minnesota.
Impacts
Universities and plant-breeding companies will employ plant geneticists and breeders who can function in a multi-disciplinary, integrative environment that will characterize future plant improvement. These scientists will view genomes-to-cultivars as a continuous spectrum where improvements at any one point in the spectrum have an impact on other points in the continuum. J. Massman's forthcoming employment with a major seed company is tangible evidence of how our USDA NNF program is helping meet this need.
Publications
- Massman, J., H.G. Jung, and R. Bernardo. 2010. Snapshots of selection: Changes in SNP allele frequencies during phenotypic, marker-assisted, and genomewide selection in maize. Plant Anim. Genome conf., 9-12 Jan. 2010. San Diego, CA.
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Progress 11/15/08 to 11/14/09
Outputs
Our two Ph.D. Fellows continue to make excellent progress in their coursework and research. Jon Massman (M.S. University of Minnesota) is advised by PI Bernardo and is conducting research on genomewide selection and prediction for maize yield, agronomic traits, and stover quality for cellulosic ethanol. Liana Nice (B.S. Cornell University) is advised by co-PI Muehlbauer and is conducting research on the genetics of wild barley for the improvement of cultivated barley. Both students have completed a substantial amount of coursework towards their Ph.D. degrees. J. Massman expects to finish his Ph.D. studies in 2011, and L. Nice expects to finish her Ph.D. studies in 2013. PRODUCTS: PI Bernardo and co-PI Muehlbauer helped organize, under the auspices of the USDA-funded Barley Coordinated Agricultural Project, a workshop on association genetics and marker-assisted selection at the University of Minnesota in August 2009. L. Nice participated in this workshop along with scientists and students from other universities, whereas J. Massman served as a teaching assistant for the course. OUTCOMES: The workshop on association genetics and marker-assisted selection, as well as a student-organized plant breeding symposium (see Dissemination Activities), has allowed our graduate students and Fellows to become a more tightly knit student community and allowed them to learn first-hand from the top experts in the field. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: The importance of graduate-student support for genomics and bioinformatics in cultivar development was highlighted during a student-organized plant-breeding symposium (funded by Pioneer Hi-Bred) at the University of Minnesota during spring 2009. PI Bernardo presented an NNF poster during the annual investigator meeting in Washington, D.C. in October 2009. FUTURE INITIATIVES: J. Massman will be spending a summer internship in France and Germany in summer 2010 to learn about organization and execution of plant breeding programs and gain exposure to international agriculture.
Impacts
Universities and plant-breeding companies will employ plant geneticists and breeders who can function in a multi-disciplinary, integrative environment that will characterize future plant improvement. These scientists will view genomes-to-cultivars as a continuous spectrum where improvements at any one point in the spectrum have an impact on other points in the continuum. Our Fellows will help meet this need in the near future.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 11/15/07 to 11/14/08
Outputs
We successfully recruited two outstanding Ph.D. Fellows who began their doctoral work in 2007. Jon Massman (M.S. University of Minnesota) is advised by PI Bernardo and is conducting research in exploiting cheap and abundant molecular markers in corn hybrid breeding. Liana Nice (B.S. Cornell University) is advised by co-PI Muehlbauer and is conducting research in small-grains genomics. Both Fellows have successfully completed their first semester of coursework at the University of Minnesota and have been assimilated into our research and academic community. PRODUCTS: PI Bernardo and co-PI Muehlbauer helped organize, under the auspices of the USDA-funded Barley Coordinated Agricultural Project, a workshop on association genetics and marker-assisted selection at the University of Minnesota in June 2008. NNF Fellow Massman participated in this workshop along with scientists and students from other universities. OUTCOMES: The workshop on association genetics and marker-assisted selection, as well as a student-organized plant breeding symposium (see Dissemination Activities), has allowed our graduate students and Fellows to become a more tightly knit student community and allowed them to learn first-hand from the top experts in the field. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: The importance of graduate-student support for genomics and bioinformatics in cultivar development was highlighted during a student-organized plant-breeding symposium (funded by Pioneer Hi-Bred) at the University of Minnesota during spring 2008. FUTURE INITIATIVES: We are considering offering a 2-credit Maymester course on management skills for plant scientists.
Impacts
Universities and plant-breeding companies will employ plant geneticists and breeders who can function in a multi-disciplinary, integrative environment that will characterize future plant improvement. These scientists will view genomes-to-cultivars as a continuous spectrum where improvements at any one point in the spectrum have an impact on other points in the continuum. Our Fellows will help meet this need in the near future.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 11/15/06 to 11/14/07
Outputs
The University of Minnesota Applied Plant Sciences graduate program, under which this USDA National Needs Fellowship (NNF) award is administered, underwent an external review in April 2007. The review identified plant breeding and genetics as the main strength of our graduate program and led to suggestions for further strengthening our graduate program as a whole. As a result of this external review, we have enhanced our recruiting efforts, initiated a review of our curriculum, and obtained new industry funding to support plant-breeding research assistantships and a student-run plant breeding symposium. These parallel developments shall enhance the experience of fellows. We have set high standards for fellows and did not award the NNF slots in 2007. But by fall 2007, we have offered one NNF slot to an outstanding student and we have also identified a second student for the other NNF slot. We therefore expect to have both NNF slots filled in 2008.
PRODUCTS: (No significant Products to report at this time)
OUTCOMES: (No significant Outcomes to report at this time)
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: (No significant Dissemination Activities to report at this time)
FUTURE INITIATIVES: (No significant Future Initiatives to report at this time)
Impacts
(No significant Impacts to report at this time)
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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