The Devos Laboratory

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My lab conducts research in the area of cereal genetics and comparative genome analysis. Over the past years, we have established the relationship between the genomes of different cereal species, in particular rice, foxtail millet, pearl millet, finger millet and wheat and related Triticeae species. This knowledge allows cross-crop application of information and resources. Of major importance is the rice genomic sequence, which is being exploited as a source of markers and candidate genes for our target cereal crops.

We are also working towards the isolation of genes underlying plant height and flowering time and wheat and millet with the aim of studying allelic divergence of these genes across species. It is our goal to gain insight into the structural characteristics that affect functional variation to allow future manipulation of these genes for crop improvement.

In collaboration with India and Africa, work is being carried out to develop user-friendly molecular markers and conduct trait analyses in millet to aid breeders in introducing favorable traits in elite or locally adapted germplasm. Target traits are downy mildew resistance in pearl millet, and blast and drought resistance in finger millet.

Another area of interest is the structural organization and evolution of the wheat genome. Specific questions we aim to address are the organization of genes and repeats in the hexaploid wheat genome, and the molecular basis of chromosomal rearrangements in wheat and its relatives.