Projects
Corn is currently sold as a commodity with a fixed price per bushel. It has a tremendous variety of uses ranging from animal feed to sweeteners to industrial starch. The goal of our laboratory is to develop corn varieties tailored to specific end-users. This will make corn use much more efficient by eliminating the processing steps and additives currently required for many corn products. The increased value of the crop and reduced processing costs will result in economic gain for corn producers, processors and consumers.
USDA-ARS CRIS project: Genetic
Analysis of Selection Response in Maize Populations with Jode Edwards and
Linda Pollak
Nutritionally Optimized
Feed-corn
With the help of swine nutritionists and corn breeders at ISU, we are developing
methods to produce corn which has been nutritionally optimized for swine feed.
Our approach is to improve the amino acid balance of corn by altering the
protein composition of the seed. To accomplish this goal we are combining
biotechnology based screening methods with traditional plant breeding. The
outcome will be corn which requires less supplementation and results in less
nitrogenous waste.
Plant Biotechnology
Our goal in this project is to determine the best strategy for producing foreign proteins in grain considering milling, extraction and purification that may be required on the way to the final product. We are using the Green Fluorescent Protein as a model protein because it is safe, easy to detect and has properties similar to those of many proteins that could potentially increase the value of corn when produced in grain.
Association
Genetics of Beta-Glucan Metabolism to Enhance Oat and Barley Germplasm for Food
and Nutritional Function – With Jean-Luc Jannink