The focus of my research group is the evolution of naturally-occurring asexual seed production in plants (apomixis), and my research program encompasses population genetics and evolution, high throughput phenotyping, various “omics” methods (NGS, microarray expression profiling, CGH, miRNA analyses), and functional genetics. Asexual plants are naturally occurring, and are typically hybrid and polyploid, and thus our research includes the cause and effect aspects of these phenomena on asexuality. The relative success of sexual versus asexual reproduction reflects an evolutionary puzzle which has long challenged
biologists, and our applied work on apomixis has enabled us to delve relatively deeply into some of these evolutionary hypotheses, both in wild populations and in the lab.
From an applied perspective, apomixis is heralded as disruptive technology which could spur an agricultural revolution when engineered into crops, as it would allow immediate fixation of any desired genotype and lead to faster and simpler breeding schemes. Hence niche breeding, the development of diverse crop varieties adapted to specific environmental, agricultural or economic needs, would be one of many potential benefits to humanity. This applied aspect allows me to attract additional interest and funding from both industrial and private sources to fund my research.
I also have long-standing projects (15 years) in Germany which involve apomixis and reproduction in the medicinal plants St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) and German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), research which supports academic and industry partners for their use in dementia research and digestive applications respectively. This has also led me to delve more deeply into the legitimization of medicinal plants, and I have recently begun to apply genomics to Cannabis research.
I worked as a technician in an amphibian genetics laboratory at McGill University from 1987 until 1995 and simultaneously completed my BSc and MSc in evolution and biology at McGill. In 1995, I moved to the Max Planck Institute for Behavioural Physiology (Seewiesen, Germany), where I completed his PhD in Biology, studying the evolution of sex in flatworms from the Italian Alps. In 1999, I moved to the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology (Jena, Germany) to work on apomixis as a post-doc. In 2005, I began as head of the apomixis research group at the Leibniz Institute for Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK Gatersleben, Germany). On September 1, 2015, I was awarded a 7 million dollar grant to begin a position as GIFS Research Chair in Seed Biology at the newly formed Global Institute for Food Security in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. I recently completed this funding cycle and have moved my lab permanently to the Plant Sciences department of USask.
This three-year project aims to develop the optimal media formulations and transformation process to generate the highest-value cannabis plants in the market. We have examined the response of different cannabis genotypes to tissue culture media formations to develop tissue culture media formulations tailored for cannabis genotypes. We will be evaluating upon flowering of the rooted clones of the selected tissue culture plants, flowers should have equal to or better yield and potency than traditional clone production and cultivation of cannabis plants.
Another goal of this project is to develop a genetic transformation procedure for cannabis from callus and/orprotoplast regeneration optimization. This protocol will be used to increase pathogen resistance and improve quality traits like yield in cannabis plants.
Abstract: First, the project will focus on the genetic structure of a subset of Klonetic's extensive germplasm collection by conducting a large genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) experiment and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data analyses. Second, the project will perform phenotypic analyses at the CLS (Canadian Light Source) to quantify important biochemical and agronomic traits associated with trichomes and seed formation.
Description: Due to longstanding restrictions, our basic knowledge of Cannabis is far behind other crops (Clarke and Merlin 2017). Hence, many of the claims made by the industry regarding the various applications of Cannabis require advanced molecular, pharmaceutical, and agronomic research, all of which require an in-depth understanding of its evolutionary history, genetic structure, biochemical variability, and reproductive diversity. This research proposed here provides a roadmap combining modern genomics tools to establish a solid business model for cannabis genetic improvement to cater to future needs of the medical and recreational market in Canada.
Abstract: An integrative research project aimed at studying the pollen generated by a core set of Cannabis accessions is proposed The project will develop phenotypic analyses of pollen at the CLS whereby both surface and internal structures can be qualified and quantified. The project will focus on identifying X and Y chromosomes carrying pollen, as this could be used in a sorting procedure for the directed breeding of female plants.
Description: Medicinal cannabis is a treasure trove of phytochemicals with more than 110 different cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. Major phytoactive compounds of interest are delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) and cannabidolic acid (CBDA) for their medicinal effects. Varying profiles of THC, CBD, and terpenes with a range of 20-30% total cannabinoids in cannabis products provide numerous opportunities for treating different diseases (medicinal applications) and various organoleptic properties in combination with THC (recreational applications). Most of the traditional cannabis breeding in North America used hybrid or varietal approaches, whereas little efforts have been made to apply modern genomics tools and breeding methods for cannabis genetic improvement and innovation.
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