Genetic improvement and functional genomics of Aronia
aroniomics-poster_2018.pdf |
1. Tissue Culture
Shoot organogenesis
Shoot organogenesis
- Develop a shoot regeneration system using leaf and cotyledon explants of Aronia and several other closely related taxa for Agrobacterium gene transformation and genome editing technologies.
mahoney_et-al_2018.pdf |
2. Plant Breeding
Intergeneric Hybridization & Sexual Polyploidization
Intergeneric Hybridization & Sexual Polyploidization
- Attempt to develop hybrids between Aronia melanocarpa × Pyrus communis and ×Sorbaronia dippelli × Pyrus communis.
- Investigate the mating systems and compatibility (pre- and post-zygotic) between these wide hybridizations.
- Develop new Aronia mitschurinii cultivars via intergeneric hybridization and sexual polyploidization using wild Aronia germplasm.
- Evaluate the genetic diversity and structure of breeding populations using flow cytometry and Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLP) markers.
- Investigate the phenotypic diversity of new breeding populations and wild Aronia accessions with the goal of identifying elite germplasm for future breeding and cultivar releases.
mahoney-et-al-2019_aronia-reproduction.pdf |
3. Functional Genomics
Transcriptomics (In collaboration with the Wang Lab)
Transcriptomics (In collaboration with the Wang Lab)
- Determine the genetic mechanisms and gene networks involved with polyphenol biosynthesis in Aronia fruit using RNA-sequencing.
- Clone and functionally characterize DEGs that are involved with the regulation and biosynthesis of flavonoids.