Current Research

 

My current research focuses on how a class of hormones, known as cytokinins, impacts grain size and number in Canadian spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Wheat is an important global crop that accounts for more than 20% of the world’s food supply. With an increasing population, this means greater yields of wheat will be required to keep up with demand.

Cytokinins are a key hormone during the development of the wheat kernel, which is the part we eat. In the earliest stages of kernel development, cytokinin activity is directly linked to the number of cells that are formed before the kernel starts the process of grain filling (i.e. getting bigger). If a kernel develops more cells in this short developmental stage, it can get bigger. This translates into greater yield per head of wheat.
 

I am comparing low- and high-yielding cultivars of wheat to determine if there are differences in cytokinin activity during the stages of kernel development. I use molecular methods to identify candidate genes which may be responsible for bigger kernels.

I am being supervised by Dr. R.J. Neil Emery.