Identification of Genetic Loci that Improve Plant Response to Precipitation Extremes
Level of Education of Students Involved
Undergraduate
Faculty Sponsor
Jane Kenney-Hunt
College
College of Arts & Sciences (CAS)
Discipline(s)
Biology, Genetics, Environmental Science
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Symposium Date
Spring 4-24-2025
Abstract
Plant life is facing unprecedented challenges due to erratic weather patterns in the Great Lake Region of the Midwest, characterized by its spring floods and extreme summer heat. We simulated the effects of these extremes in precipitation on 100 Arabidopsis thaliana recombinant inbred lines (RIL) to investigate the quantitative genetics of five phenotypes (days to germinate, bolt, leaf, seed maturity, and flower). We also conducted quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping to localize genomic regions influencing the phenotypic variation observed in these traits. We identified five QTLs, heritability and gene-by-environment interactions. We are in the process of identifying candidate genes that improve plant resilience to the Midwest’s precipitation extremes.
Recommended Citation
Boyle, Abby; Swierc, Ashlee; and Kenney-Hunt, Jane, "Identification of Genetic Loci that Improve Plant Response to Precipitation Extremes" (2025). Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 1376.
https://scholar.valpo.edu/cus/1376
