Perspectives on research with varietal diversity and sustainable utilization in enset (Ensete banana)

347. Wilkin P, Davis A, Demissew S, Etherington T, Goodwin M, Heslop-Harrison P, Schwarzacher T, Willis K. 2018. A perspective to enhance innovative research with emphasis on varietal diversity and sustainable utilization of enset (Ensete ventricosum). Ethiopian Journal of Biological Sciences 17(Suppl.): 201–209. Wilkin et al. Perspectives for research and enset. Ethiopian J Biol Sci…

Domestication, polyploidy and genomics of crops and weeds PAGXXV

Plant and Animal Genome Conference in San Diego #PAGXXV each January is the chance to join 3500 people working in genomics. I presented a talk on the molecular cytogenetics group’s work, starting with consideration of early stages of crop domestication, and then thinking about how we can make agriculture more sustainable. I also considered weeds,…

Diversity and characters in Ethiopian linseed Linum #PAGXXIII Negash Worku

Many people have talked about Orphan crops – those where there has been little genetic or other research – and the characterization, evaluation and exploitation of germplasm at the #PAGXXIII Plant and Animal Genome Conference this week. Today, I am talking about work by Negash Worku on the Diversity and Characters in Ethiopian Linseed Accessions….

Animal Cytogenetics, Gene Mapping and Chromosome Research – The 21st Colloquium Ischia, Naples, Italy

Cytogenetics of animals is moving forward rapidly with the integration of sequencing and robust phylogenies with methods of chromosome analysis. The 21st International Colloquium on Animal Cytogenetics and Gene Mapping held June 2014 covered a range of topics in comparative, molecular, veterinary and environmental cytogenetics, as well as a session on cytogenetics of non-mammalian vertebrates and…

Sugar cane and characterization of Saccharum hybrids by molecular cytogenetics with Natalia Melloni

Natália Melloni from UNESP and IAC, Brazil, has been characterizing Saccharum sugar cane hybrids in a collaboration with the molecular cytogenetics group. The title of the project is “Characterization of interspecific hybrids (Saccharum spp x Saccharum spontaneum) by molecular cytogenetics” or “Caracterização de híbridos interespecíficos (Saccharum spp x Saccharum spontaneum ) por citogenética molecular”, and…

100 years after Sturtevant and the linear order of genes on chromosomes: an ECA cytogenetics session

Among the exciting Plenary Sessions at the European Cytogeneticists Association conference in Dublin – #ECA2013 – one marked 100 years since publication of Alfred H Sturtevant’s landmark research paper presenting the first genetic map of a chromosome (1913: J. Exp. Zool., 14 (1), 43-9. URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jez.1400140104 but see http://www.esp.org/foundations/genetics/classical/holdings/s/ahs-13.pdf for the original paper and a commentary by Robert J. Robbins). In his…

Wheat-Thinopyrum introgression work wins prize for Niaz Ali, Hazara, Pakistan

Dr Niaz Ali, Hazara University, Mansehra, Pakistan works on the introgression of characters from alien species into wheat, having completed his PhD in Leicester in 2012 with Dr Trude Schwarzacher. He presented his PhD work at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Experimental Biology (SEB http://www.sebiology.org/meetings /Valencia/Programmes.html) in the session on Exploiting genetic diversity for…

Superdomestication, feed-forward breeding and climate proofing crops

Climate Proofing of Food Crops, through genetic improvement for adaptation, is an important, medium-term, objective to ensure food-security and increase production while enhancing the sustainability of agriculture. The IAEA has a Coordinated Research Project discussing this topic (archive version). In the YouTube video here, I discuss some of the challenges plant researchers are addressing, and…