Technical Services, Collaborative Research and Cooperative Activities with the United States Agency for International Development, Phase III

<p>Identify maize germplasm with resistance to Aspergillus flavus infection and subsequent aflatoxin accumulation and develop and release this germplasm together with information on molecular markers and breeding methodology that will expedite deployment of maize inbred lines, hybrids, and synthetic varieties with resistance to aflatoxin contamination for the USA, Africa, and Mexico. Specific objectives include: (1) validate putative genes for resistance identified in past association and quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping experiments, (2) use RNA interference (RNAi), synthetic peptides, and transgenic lines to identify and interfere with fungal growth, (3) produce near isogenic lines (NILs), recombinant inbred lines (RILs), and transgenic lines to validate newly identified genes for resistance to aflatoxin contamination, (4) characterize protein products of gene exhibiting expression correlated with resistance, (5) identify germplasm with resistance to Aspergillus flavus infection and aflatoxin accumulation, and (6) develop resistant maize varieties and parental inbred lines.</p>