Understanding genetic hubs in rice inflorescence architecture to increase grain yield

ended

GainGrain addresses grain (fruit) production in rice, which is one of the most important cereals species, a major staple food and the most important model plant for the wide and important phylogenetic group of monocots. GainGrain intends to improve yield by dissecting the regulatory mechanisms that control the branched inflorescence architecture of rice, aiming to both identify new functions and analyze the regulatory networks of conserved transcription factors. This will enable us to determine, and eventually optimize, rice inflorescence morphogenesis. Nevertheless, GainGrain is designed to transfer the knowledge and molecular tools obtained in rice to other crops, not just other cereals but even eudicot crops. Identifying and understanding the role of molecular networks, their direct targets and interactors, and their involvement in regulating the number of inflorescence branches and flowers in each species, would provide evolutionary and developmental insights and new major targets for crop yield improvement.