[CEPCEB_All] *FRIDAY* CEPCEB Seminar: Andrea Eveland 3/13

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*Andrea Eveland*
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*Optimizing plant form and function through developmental genetics, *

*regulatory genomics and high-resolution phenomics*


*Date:* Friday, March 13

*Time:* 12:00 pm-1:00pm

*        Location: *Genomics Auditorium 1102


*Abstract:*

Research in my lab explores gene regulatory mechanisms that control plant
architecture traits and stress resilience in panicoid cereals. We use
cross-disciplinary approaches to dissect regulation of meristem fate
decisions at the molecular level to the genetic architecture of whole-plant
responses to contrasting environments. Ultimately, we aim to enable
precision engineering of plant morphology and prediction of plant
performance in various environmental scenarios. I will highlight two
different research foci in the lab, one with impact for improving grain
production and the other for enhancing environmental resilience. First, I
will introduce a unique developmental system in the model grass Setaria
viridis that we leverage to dissect mechanisms controlling spikelet
meristem identity and determinacy. Spikelets are grain-bearing units of
grass inflorescences and spatiotemporal control of spikelet development
influences inflorescence architecture and ultimately grain number, size and
yield potential. Andropogoneae grasses (maize, sorghum) make spikelets in
pairs, a trait that has arisen independently in “bristle grasses”
(Paniceae) where spikelets are paired with sterile bristles. We show that
in setaria, bristle and spikelet fate are interconvertible, and this fate
decision involves growth hormones BR and GA and the ortholog of maize
determinacy factor RAMOSA1. Based on genetic and molecular analyses from
setaria and maize, a model is proposed for regulation spikelet meristem
fate through gradients of hormones and transcription factors.


In the second part, I will talk about harnessing natural diversity and
regulatory variation in sorghum to discover genes and haplotypes that
contribute to drought resilience. A panel of 285 sorghum accessions that
maximize variation in genetics, geographic origin and responses to water
deficit has been sequenced and extensively phenotyped across controlled
environment and contrasting field conditions. Marker-trait associations
with a suite of morphological, physiological, and dynamic phenotypes are
integrated with a multi-omics framework to identify underlying genes and
associated regulatory variation that contribute to the genetic architecture
of drought response. Further, drought-responsive transcriptomics data from
the entire panel is used to identify expression quantitative trait loci
that disrupt transcription factor binding sites and haplotypes that alter
gene expression. An efficient sorghum transformation and gene editing
pipeline was established in the lab to test hypotheses.
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