The power of flowers: students use genetics to boost crop yields

Seven students and a biology professor are conducting genetic research that could greatly increase agricultural production.

With the help of a three-year, $330,0000 grant from the National Science Foundation, Cal State Long Beach assistant biology professor Simon Malcomber is conducting research with students on the genes of grass plants. The findings of the study may reveal genes that regulate branching within crops such as barley, wheat, oats and sorghum.

"What we're trying to do is understand, in particular, these branching genes," Malcomber said. "In maize and in rice, these branching genes regulate the branching that happens within the flower clusters at the tops of plants … The amount of seed you get from a particular plant is greatly determined by the number of flowers you have on an individual [plant].

"The idea is if you have more branching in your flower cluster, then you're going to be able to get more grain at the end of it."

In his previous studies in journals, Malcomber identified some of these branching genes in rice and corn. In this new study, Malcomber and his students Ashley Christensen, Beverlie Baquir, Richard Frederick, Katie Gallagher, Lori Glenwinkel, Lauren Taniyama and Daniel Woods are analyzing the similarities of certain genes within a variety of grass plants. He said he is studying the genes in more grass plants, such as barley, wheat, finger millet and sorghum, for these branching genes.

Malcomber has two particular genes that he and his students are studying. The first, rhymosa-3, is specifically related to branching.

"We're just trying to see whether or not rhymosa-3 also regulates branching in some of these other grasses," Malcomber said. "We're also trying to see whether or not rhymosa-3 is restricted to grasses or if it also functions in a similar way in other [plant] species."

Woods, a junior biology major, is studying the rhymosa-3 gene, as well as an auxin gene, known as barren stalk.

"I'm interested in branching, and how branching affects the overall form of the flowers," Woods said. "I'm looking at an important developmental gene that's involved in regulating branching in the models systems of corn and trying to expand it out among all species."

The other genes that his class is analyzing are the sepallata genes, which regulate the production of flowers. Malcomber said that Christensen isolated one important sepallata gene, leafy hull sterile 1, from several species.

Malcomber is also collaborating with Penn State and UC San Diego studying auxin genes, in particular the barin stalk gene.