'Gene chips' research in cotton could lead to superi...( y stages of cotton fiber development. ...)

Chen's team is collaborating with Jonathan Wendel, project leader of the National Science Foundation-funded Cotton Evolution Genome Project at Iowa State University. The two research groups will collectively develop a high-quality DNA microarray resource that is open and accessible to the cotton community.

The microarrays will eventually include all favorable genes from cotton researchers so they can be used in cotton breeding and field applications.

"This project represents a clear example where Cotton Incorporated and state-funded research initiatives have had a 'multiplier-effect' on garnering substantial federal funding for cotton research," Chen said. "In the current era of genome biology, plant researchers are working together in groups to share expertise necessary to generate large amounts of genomic resources for the entire research community and to the cotton industry.

"Genomic resources generated in rice, corn and wheat have produced tremendous impacts on the plant research community and plant production agriculture. Cotton researchers are establishing new information and technologies that will enhance cotton's share of competitive federal research support for genomic research."

Chen said he would like to expand genome biotechnology education outside the university setting.

"We would like to build an outreach program where middle school teachers can bring their classes to our laboratories so they can learn about genome biotechnology," he said. "It would give students an opportunity for a hands-on look at how to extract DNA from plants and amplify DNA in test tubes. They would be exposed to how science and technology programming involves not only agriculture, but biotechnology and engineering as well."

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Contact: Blair Fannin
b-fannin@tamu.edu
979-845-2259
Texas A&M University - Agricultural Communications
23-Sep-2004