Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Amit Dhingra
Intelli-GEN-Design™ Fruit of the Future
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Genomics research in
perennial crops is quickly gaining momentum. The poplar genome sequence was published last year, and apple and peach genome sequences will be completed by 2008. Washington produces some of the best fruit crops globally, and WSU, with its expertise in horticultural genomics, is uniquely positioned to advance fruit improvement.
Dr. Dhingra’s research program is engaged in establishing foundational technologies to exploit the fruit genome sequences in collaboration with the department’s Rosaceae bioinformatics resident expert. A gene discovery platform, non-transgenic and transgenic approaches for precise crop improvement and outreach form the three major pillars of this program. Using gene discovery and transcriptomics, the researchers are identifying the gene(s) underlying desirable fruit traits. New gene function can be elucidated using transgenic surrogates in fruit crops and relevant genes are precisely modified for generating new cultivars using non-transgenic approaches based on tissue culture.
Development of a fruit is accompanied by changes in pigment and several secondary metabolic processes are in full swing at this transitional phase. Organelles, namely chloroplast and mitochondria, are the major centers of activity during this period. Dr. Dhingra is working to identify and functionally characterize organelle-targeted genes in fruits in a developmental context. The researchers hope the knowledge gained from this research will help them to discover specific key players in metabolic processes related to fruit’s nutritional qualities.
Green light signaling is another research project pursued through this program.
Green light is considered to be a benign component of the light spectrum. The researchers have recently demonstrated that plants do not ignore this signal and adjust the plastid transcriptome, especially during early development. They are interested in dissecting the signal transduction pathway by first identifying specific DNA elements that respond to the green signal.
Recently, the researchers developed a simple, cost-effective, time saving method for rapid sequencing of chloroplast genomes. That method provides hands-on training to horticulture undergraduate students, exciting them about genomics research. The long-term goal is to integrate a bioinformatics component to establish a portal for comparative sequencing of chloroplast and other small genomes. This fits with the overall goal of Dr. Dhingra’s research of creating graduate and undergraduate student training opportunities with an emphasis on interdisciplinary training.
Contact Information
Amit Dhingra, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Washington State University
P.O. Box 646414
Pullman, WA 99164-6414
Telephone: 509-335-3625
E-mail: adhingra@wsu.edu |
Amit Dhingra
