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Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number BB/E014933/2
Title Optimising the development of the energy grass Miscanthus through manipulation of flowering time
Status Completed
Energy Categories Renewable Energy Sources(Bio-Energy, Applications for heat and electricity) 100%;
Research Types Basic and strategic applied research 100%
Science and Technology Fields BIOLOGICAL AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES (Biological Sciences) 100%
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation Not Cross-cutting 100%
Principal Investigator Dr IS (Iain ) Donnison
No email address given
IBERS
Aberystwyth University
Award Type Research Grant
Funding Source BBSRC
Start Date 01 April 2008
End Date 30 March 2012
Duration 48 months
Total Grant Value £584,901
Industrial Sectors Manufacturing
Region Wales
Programme
 
Investigators Principal Investigator Dr IS (Iain ) Donnison , IBERS, Aberystwyth University (99.998%)
  Other Investigator Mr IP (Ian ) Armstead , IBERS, Aberystwyth University (0.001%)
Dr J (John ) Clifton-Brown , IBERS, Aberystwyth University (0.001%)
Web Site
Objectives This grant is linked to BB/E014933/1, BB/E014682/1.
Abstract This project aims to deliver information on the coordinate control of growth and development in perennial grasses through the association of flowering time and senescence QTL, with flowering time genes in the C4 energy grass Miscanthus. It is proposed to investigate the molecular basis of flowering in this species by identifying homologues of flowering time genes already identified in the model plants Arabidopsis, rice and maize. There are over 40 flowering time associated genes mapped in rice and approximately half of these have also been mapped in maize. We therefore propose to exploit the dense SSR genetic maps of maize to build genetic maps of Miscanthus regions, focused around these candidate genes, supplementing the maize markers with a smaller number of sugarcane SSRs. Replicate mature plants of two mapping families used to genetically map the candidate flowering time regions will be phenotyped for heading date. This will therefore test the hypotheses that (1) Arabidopsis, rice and maize can be used as genetic models for the control of flowering time in Miscanthus, and (2) Miscanthus cDNAs homologous to rice and Arabidopsis flowering genes can be mapped to Miscanthus flowering time QTL. Mapping homologues of flowering time genes in Miscanthus will also provide comparative genetic information on the extent of synteny that exists between Miscanthus and other grasses. To further test candidate genes from model organisms which co-map to flowering time QTL in Miscanthus, shifts in allele frequency of the Miscanthus orthologous within synthetic populations selected for early and late flowering time will be monitored using SNPs. In other words to test if differences in flowering response exhibited by different Miscanthus species and genotypes are a consequence of allelic variation in orthologues of Arabidopsis and other model species flowering time control genes.
Publications (none)
Final Report (none)
Added to Database 22/11/13