Plant Molecular Genetics and Bioengineering
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Walter Suza, Iowa State University
Faizo Kasule, Iowa State University
Philip W. Becraft, Iowa State University
Thomas Lübberstedt, Iowa State University
Madan K. Bhattacharyya, Iowa State University
Copyright Year:
Publisher: Iowa State University Digital Press
Language: English
Formats Available
Conditions of Use
Attribution-NonCommercial
CC BY-NC
Table of Contents
- 1. The Molecular Nature of a Gene
- 2. Gene Expression and Regulation
- 3. Mutations and Trait Variation
- 4. Genetic Pathways
- 5. DNA Markers
- 6. Recombinant DNA Technology
- 7. Plant Transformation
- 8. Gene Function and Bioengineering
- About the Authors
About the Book
This edited book presents an overview of the fundamental principles and applied methodologies used in the genetic improvement of crop plants. It covers the structure and function of genes controlling traits of agronomic importance, the regulation of gene expression and genetic pathways, and the role of mutations as a primary source of genetic variation underlying trait improvement. Additional topics include an introduction to molecular markers, recombinant DNA technology, plant transformation, and gene editing technologies. Learning activities are included to facilitate self-study.
About the Contributors
Authors
Faizo Kasule is a Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant in the Interdepartmental Genetics and Genomics Program at Iowa State University, working in the in the Department of Agronomy. His research focuses on advancing plant genetic transformation and genome editing in maize and sorghum, with a particular emphasis on utilizing morphogenes, peptides, and effectors to enhance transformation efficiency and regeneration. He contributes to teaching within the program while pursuing his graduate studies. Before joining Iowa State University, Faizo worked as a plant breeder with the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) in Uganda, supporting efforts to improve millets and sorghum crops and strengthen food security. He also served as a Graduate Research and Teaching FAPA Assistant with the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) in Kampala, Uganda, and worked as a biotechnologist with the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Kampala, Uganda. Faizo holds a B.Sc. in Biotechnology and an M.Sc. in Plant Breeding and Seed Systems from Makerere University in Uganda.
Philip W. Becraft, Professor Emeritus, received his B.A. in Botany from the University of Montana, Missoula, his M.S. in Agronomy from Montana State University, Bozeman, and his Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of California, Berkeley. Upon graduation, Dr. Becraft completed an NSF postdoctoral Fellow/Courtesy Assistant Professor position in the Horticulture Science Department at the University of Florida, Gainesville. In 1996, Dr. Becraft joined the faculty of Iowa State University as Assistant Professor, was promoted to Associate Professor in 2002, and full Professor in 2009. His research was on regulation of plant growth and development. Using molecular genetics and genomics, Dr. Becraft’s team established that a genetic hierarchy regulates aleurone development and isolated several of the key genes involved in endosperm development.
Thomas Lübberstedt grew up on a horticultural farm in Hamburg, Germany, studied Ag.- and Horticulture (Technical University Munich, University of Hannover), and received his Dr. rer. nat. in Biology from the Ludwigs-Maximilians University in Munich in 1993. During this time he developed his interest in integrating plant breeding and biotechnologies including molecular genetics. He worked in three countries, Germany (1989-2001: LMU Munich: PhD, University of Hohenheim: Habilitation, Technical University of Munich, Heisenberg fellow), Denmark (Senior Scientist at Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, 2001-2007), and the U.S. (since 2007 at Iowa State University: ISU). At Iowa State University, Lübberstedt is K.J. Frey Chair, Director of M.S. Distance Plant Breeding, Faculty Scholar of Plant Sciences Institute, and founder and professor-in-charge of the Doubled Haploid (DH) Facility at ISU. Over the past ca. 12 years, Lübberstedt focused his research on DH technology and its application, which resulted in USDA-, NSF-, and FFAR-funded projects, patents and novel germplasm including haploid inducers. Lübberstedt served as chair of the Plant Breeding Coordinating Committee (PBCC) in 2015/16, president of the National Association for Plant Breeders (NAPB) 2023/24, and Director of R.F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding at ISU (2007-2023).
Madan K. Bhattacharyya received his B. Sc. (Agriculture: Genetics & Plant Breeding) from Assam Agricultural University and then M.S. (Olericulture: Vegetable Breeding) from Punjab Agricultural University. He received his Ph.D. in Plant Sciences from Western University, London, Canada as a Canadian Commonwealth Scholar. He then joined then John Innes Institute, now John Innes Center, where he cloned the peas “r” locus studied by Gregor Mendel. He started his lab in Noble Foundation, USA, and then joined Iowa State University in 2000, where he is currently a professor. Prof. Bhattacharyya leads a research program primarily focused on the genetic and molecular mechanisms of plant disease resistance and abiotic stress tolerance. His notable contributions include the first cloning and characterization of the plant signaling enzyme phospholipase C, understanding the molecular basis of soybean host resistance against Phytophthora sojae, Arabidopsis nonhost resistance against soybean pathogens, pathogenicity mechanisms of Fusarium virguliforme involved in soybean sudden death syndrome (SDS) development, isolation and characterization of an active endogenous transposable element in soybean, and genetic mechanisms underlying plant adaptation to adverse climatic conditions including cold, heat and drought stress. The overarching goal of his laboratory is to translate fundamental discoveries into strategies for enhancing soybean resilience to both biotic and abiotic stresses. Currently, his lab is developing drought and flood tolerance soybean cultivars and modifying a rice blast resistance gene to confer complete SDS resistance in soybean. Bhattacharyya also contributes to graduate education. He taught Plant Genetics for a decade. He currently teaches Applied Plant Molecular Genetics & Biotechnology to graduate students. He has authored 99 peer reviewed articles with over 10,000 citations. In 2021, Bhattacharyya was elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for his distinguished contributions to the field of plant-microbe interactions, particularly for understanding the interactions between soybean and its fungal and oomycete pathogens.
Editor
Walter P. Suza is the George Washington Carver Endowed Chair and an Adjunct Associate Professor at Iowa State University. He holds a Ph.D. in plant sciences, specializing in molecular physiology, from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where his doctoral research identified the role of the JASMONATE RESISTANT 1 (JAR1) gene in the production of jasmonoyl-isoleucine (JA-Ile) in wound response signaling in Arabidopsis and tomato. His postdoctoral work includes elucidating the spatial and temporal regulation of sterol biosynthesis in Nicotiana benthamiana. His current research applies genetic, physiological, molecular, and biochemical approaches to understand how phytosterols modulate cellular metabolism in maize and soybean. He teaches courses in Genetics and Biotechnology, Crop Physiology, and World Food Issues in the Department of Agronomy. In addition to co-developing courses for Iowa State’s Distance Master’s Program in Plant Breeding, he served for eight years as Director of Plant Breeding E-Learning in Africa (PBEA), expanding access to open educational resources in crop genetic improvement. His international experience includes work in central and southern Africa with the World Food Programme in Angola and UNICEF in Zimbabwe, where he focused on food security assessment, mapping vulnerable households, drought evaluation, and coordination of food aid projects. In 2024, he received the World Food Prize Top Agri-Food Pioneer Award.