Climate change threatens crops across the globe. But the problem goes far beyond rising temperatures. One major cause for concern is more acidic soil, a product of increasing rainfall. This can result in aluminum toxicity, putting further stress on global agriculture. A new project at 黑料吃瓜资源 (CSHL) seeks to find solutions at the intersection of genomics and plant biology. CSHL Professors Thomas Gingeras and Rob Martienssen have received a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to tackle aluminum toxicity. Their work may point the way to more resilient crops and stronger food supplies.
鈥淭he climate is rapidly transitioning into much harsher crop cultivation conditions,鈥� Gingeras says. 鈥淎luminum toxicity is a significant stress in acidic soils. It damages roots and makes crops more susceptible to drought and mineral deficiency. These effects contribute to serious food insecurity around the world.鈥�
Gingeras leads a team of scientists from the U.S. and Brazil. They aim to uncover connections between gene regulation and aluminum tolerance in crops. The project will also train scientists on new genomic approaches to addressing the effects of climate change. Their training module will supplement CSHL鈥檚 .
鈥淎cidic soils are a global agricultural problem worsened by climate change,鈥� Martienssen says. 鈥淭he NSF has given us a great opportunity to build upon our team’s discoveries on aluminum resistance in maize and sorghum, as well as our genomic technologies.鈥�
In addition to CSHL, the team includes Andrea Eveland from the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Jurandir Magalhaes from Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecu谩ria, and the New York Genome Center鈥檚 Michael Zody.
Written by: Nick Wurm, Communications Specialist | [email protected] | 516-367-5940