APPLIED AGRICULTURAL GENOMICS TO UNDERSTAND ENVIRONMENTAL ADAPTATION OF PLANTS, ANIMALS, AND MICROBES

The purpose of this project is to increase our knowledge at the genomic level of plants, microbes, and animals of potential agricultural significance. With the development of new DNA sequencing technologies and computing approaches it is possible and economical to use these approaches to guide utilization, improvement, and conservation of genetics resources of plants, animals, and microbes in diverse areas. For example, these technologies can be used in plant breeding to improve growth and nutrient content, in food safety to characterize new strains of food borne pathogens, and in the development of new microbial strains for bioprocessing.We plan to use genomics approaches to study how plants adapt their environment. As one example we are very interested in the adaptation of perennial plants to yearly cycles of changing temperatures and light in relation to survival, growth, and productivity. Genomic approaches allow us to examine the expression of all the genes in an organism at one time. Examination of multiple samples correlated with physiological and morphological changes will help to better understand how perennial plants adapt to annual cycles, and how they might adapt to a warming climate.The SDSU Genomics Sequencing Facility has contributed to multiple projects from soil sciences to basic molecular cell biology. The facility works with each researcher to optimize their experimental approach and maximize the data obtained per each dollar. The facility works with each researcher to address datelines for manuscripts, and grant