RUI: Defining the genetic architecture underlying nonrandom mating in Arabidopsis thaliana

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Robert J. SwansonIOS-1020325RUI: Defining the genetic architecture underlying nonrandom mating in Arabidopsis thalianaIt is well known that flowering plants are not reproductively indiscriminate. The pollen dusted across flower stigmas is a mixture, whose proportions do not often match proportions within progeny. In other words, some pollen have greater mating success, a phenomenon called nonrandom mating. Nonrandom mating has striking evolutionary significance in organisms across kingdoms. The genetics of nonrandom mating in flowering plants, however, is less well understood. This project will exploit tools available for the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana to define the genetic elements that direct nonrandom mating. A fuller understanding of the genetics of plant fertilization is required to facilitate the manipulation of fertilization in agriculture. Finally, the approach proposed in this project requires the training of undergraduates at a primary undergraduate institution; this work will enhance the institution's research and teaching infrastructures, and provide undergraduate students with research training using cutting-edge technology. Such work has great potential to expose and recruit students to research professions.