Team
COLLABORATORS
Rafael Lozano
Professor of Genetics, University of Almería. Currently, he directs the Group of Genetics and Physiology of Plant Development at the University of Almería, and has been responsible for numerous national and international research projects in which the genetic and genomic analysis of the reproductive development of tomato has been addressed. It has also contributed to the genetic improvement of other horticultural crops such as melons, cucumbers and beans.
Jim Weller
Professor in Plant Genetics, ARC Future Fellow in the School of Biological Sciences, and responsible of the UTAs team. The UTAs team, investigates the genetic, molecular and physiological basis for responses to environmental factors in crop and model legume species. It has defined major features of the flowering control network in representative temperate (long-day) legumes through cloning and functional analysis of flowering genes and mutants in pea (Pisum sativum) and Medicago truncatula.
Paul Gepts
Professor of Plant Genetics and responsible of the UCDavis breeding program to produce new varieties for the California grain legume industry (including the California Dry- Bean Advisory Board and organic sector); involved in the ABC-KT to develop a marker-assisted selection capability in East African bean breeding programs; in the USDA-NIFA-AFRI for the genomic recombination landscape of common bean in relation to drought- and heat-tolerance; and in the ERA-CAPS/NSF for the evolution of P. vulgaris and P. coccineus in a changing environment.
Kirstin E. Bett
Professor of Genetics and responsible of the USASK breeding program, at one of the highest latitudes for dry bean production which a strong interest in photoperiod sensitivity. She was involved in the recently wild tepary bean genome sequencing and its comparison with a domesticated genome sequenced with USA partners. Other work is on L. culinaris to identify genes related to adaptation to diverse environments around the globe.