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INVESTIGATOR: Blair, M. W.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
3500 JOHN A. MERRITT BLVD
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE 37209

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN TRANSCRIPTOMICS AND PROTEOMICS TO ENHANCE TEACHING IN BIOTECHNOLOGY

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Abiotic stress is a major limitation of pulse legumes (beans and peas), which are some of the most important, traditional crops of the southeastern United States. In this training we will focus on cowpeas and beans given their importance as food crops. Like most legumes, beans and cowpeas are sensitive to stresses affecting their roots, especially those associated with aluminum toxicity and drought conditions. The PI for this project has one of the few legume genomics/breeding programs in the region that is evaluating these traits but is missing the transcriptomic and proteomic evaluations of tolerant genotypes needed to support further varietal improvement. Overall the goal of this project is to improve the PI?s legume genetics research through training in the newest biotechnology tools. With this in mind, the professional development grant will allow the PI to receive training from a USDA mentor at the Soil, Plant and Animal Nutrition Laboratory located at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. The outcomes of this grant are aligned with NIFA priority to enhance sustainability of US Agriculture. The research and teaching activities support the strategic College-wide goal of developing first-class agriculture and biotechnology programs at Tennessee State University (TSU). The USDA laboratory has the advantage of being fully integrated from proteomics to plant physiology, and USDA collaborators in the Nutrition Lab strongly support the mission of 1890s Universities.

OBJECTIVES: Goal of the project is to address abiotic constraints in grain legumes (cowpea and common bean) that are relevant to the USDA and 1890s missions and sustainability of agriculture in the region. The training and profession development goal of this project is to improve the PI's genetics research and teaching through training in biotechnology. The professional development grant will have a USDA mentor, Dr. Thannhauser from the Soil and Plant Nutrition Laboratory. The PI for this project, Dr. Blair, has one of the few legume genomics/breeding programs that is evaluating aluminum tolerance traits in cowpea / beans but is missing the transcriptomic and proteomic evaluations of tolerant genotypes needed to support varietal improvement.