Invited Presenter
Harold N. Trick
1. Kansas State University, Department of Plant Pathology, Manhattan, KS
Corresponding Author: Harold Trick, hnt@ksu.edu
Trick, Harold
The Gene Discovery and Engineering Resistance (GDER)
research area is central to the USWBSI efforts to mitigate the threat of
Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) by identifying novel genetic resistance mechanisms
in wheat and barley. The GDER's primary focus is on understanding the molecular
basis of host resistance and susceptibility and delivering new, validated gene
variants for deployment in breeding programs. Past accomplishments have
established potential new strategies and resources for FHB control. Key breakthroughs
include the successful cloning of major resistance genes, such as Fhb1,
providing crucial knowledge for marker-assisted selection, the introgression of
novel sources of resistance, identification of susceptibility genes, and the
development of gene editing tools to successfully validate the function of
susceptibility genes. The GDER area has also invested in critical
infrastructure, including specialized transformation facilities for both wheat
and barley, to accelerate the testing and validating promising constructs.
Future Directions should emphasize the transition from discovery to deployment
and adoption. This will include increased coordination among GDER and other
USWBSI research areas (such as VDHR and PBG) thereby promoting translational
research pipelines from gene discovery to cultivar release.
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