Small grains/Agronomy: Wheat

Research for my Ph.D. under Jorge Dubcovsky focuses on understanding the genetic basis of the number of spikelets per spike (SPS) in wheat, a yield component trait for pasta and bread wheat. More specifically, I am using positional cloning to dissect the quantitative trait loci for a number of spikelets per spike (SPS) located on chromosome arm 7AL (160-165 Mb). Ultimately, I hope to use positional cloning to isolate this gene for SPS and deploy it in the UC Davis and CYMMIT wheat breeding programs. Outside of my thesis research, I am also working with SCOPE (Student Collaborative Organic Plant-Breeding and Education) to breed jalapeño and bell peppers for organic farming systems under Allen Van Deynze and Charles Brummer.