Enhancing barley environmental stress tolerance through targeted mutagenesis.

Global warming and the predicted impact on seasonal rainfall variation suggest that we may see both drier and wetter growing seasons in the future. Research into breeding strategies for maintaining yields in the face of climate change is a key aspect of future food security. In plants, the N-end rule pathway was identified as a key biochemical regulator of plant responses to environmental stress. This project focuses on: 1) identifying target proteins of the N-end rule pathway in cereals; 2) assessing their impact in controlled environments and in the field, in order to develop germplasm with enhanced abiotic stress tolerance for plant breeding. The successful candidate will be working alongside AB InBev, the largest brewing industry in the world, Plant and Crops Sciences Department and the International Centre for Brewing Science at University of Nottingham. The proposed placement activities will give the student the opportunity to interact with AB InBev staff to learn how fundamental science can be used to enhance breeding in barley. AB InBev has a Global Barley Research Centre, field trial areas, and access to the lab facilities for brewing malt quality analysis based, in Fort Collins, Colorado (USA). This collaboration provides an opportunity for research training experience closely aligned to the research needs of the industrial partner, AB InBev. The proposed placement activities will provide training in transferable skills which will enhance the employability of the student such as work along breeders. In addition, there will be opportunities to contribute to commercial events such as Cereals and to visit field experiments. This experience will be a valuable addition to the student's scientific research training and provide transferable skills which will enhance their future employability.