Exploiting genomic strategies to understand tree development

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Forests are Canada's most important natural resource, representing 10% of the worlds forests, worth $43 billion in exports and providing jobs for almost 400,000 Canadians. Traditionally forests have provided wood and fiber products for building materials and pulp and paper, but with the growing interest in renewable energy sources, trees hold the promise of providing our future fuels such as bioethanol and biodiesel. With this growing demand on our forests in the future, it will become increasingly important to have a clear understanding of how trees grow and develop. Recently the first tree DNA sequence was completed, and with this comes the opportunity to understand tree growth and development at the molecular level. My research program will utilize the poplar DNA sequence, together with unique poplar tree resources developed in my own labortory to identify the genes responsible for various aspects of tree growth and development. Combining research in the model plant Arabidopsis and poplar, we will identify the function of several genes that are resonsible for controlling the quality or quantity of wood. During the course of this research program approximately 7 graduate students will be trained, three PhD and 4 MSc, and each year 8-10 undergraduate students will be trained as honours students, summer students, or volunteers.