ACGG Research Projects

In Phase 1 of IRTG 2843, three overlapping cohorts of ACGG students start their 4-year PhD tenures in Germany in 2023, 2024 and 2025, respectively. These students will work on diverse, interacting projects to apply biotechnology and data science in practical breeding programmes for sorghum and faba bean, as case studies for underutilised crops with a strong need for improved genetic gain. Data-based breeding methods, plant populations, genomics datasets, bioinformatics and genomic/phenomic prediction approaches being developed by associated students in these and other crops will feed into future ACGG projects. In parallel, aligned student cohorts and associated students also start complementary projects each year at UQ.

Improving sorghum pollen resilience to high temperatures

Lealem Tilahun

Amenu

ACGG Cohort, UQ

Unravelling large, diverse crop genomes with graphical pangenomics – Faba bean as a case study

Kübra

Arslan

Associated student, JLU

Overcoming linkage drag in Sorghum bicolor

Zsa Zsa

Boyny

ACGG Cohort 2, JLU

Exploring genetic and epigenetic diversity within clonal populations of major Pinot varieties of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.)

Paulo

Callipo

Associated Student, HGU

Genome engineering barley root system architecture

Richard

Dixon

Associated student, UQ

Artificial intelligence as the basis for future plant breeding based on “Big Data”

Lennard

Ehrig

Associated student, JLU

Detection of genetic variation for heat and drought stress response in Vicia faba

Fatiha

Eli

Associated Student, JKI

FutureWheatProtein: Grain protein stability and agronomic performance of winter wheat under elevated CO₂ and drought

Ahmed

Elkhouly

Associated student, JKI

Evaluation and genetic analysis of resistance to dwarf smut and common bunt disease in wheat

Claire

Ferreira

Associated Student, JKI

Genomic and phenomic prediction of complex traits in apple

Nuri

Güvencli

Associated student, HGU

Characterising abiotic stress environments to support
breeding climate-resilient barley in Australia

Bita

Heidariask

Associated student, UQ

Linking plasticity of abiotic stress responses to yield stability in faba bean

Charlotte

Häuser

ACGG Cohort 2, JLU

Winter oilseed rape for organic farming: evolutionary bulks for resource efficiency and drought resilience

Daiana

Jambul

Associated student, JKI

Turning up the heat on chickpea yield - a multi-omics prediction approach

Callum

Jamie

ACGG Cohort, UQ

Pangenome assembly, genome-wide structural variation and sequence-targeted genotyping in sorghum

Venkataramana

Kopalli

ACGG Cohort 1, JLU

Investigation of cold tolerance in sorghum bicolor considering survival rate under frost for genetic studies and the impact of different cytoplasm

Natalja

Kravcov

Associated student, JLU

WheatFACE: Phenotypic and genetic determinants for adaptation of winter wheat to increasing CO2 concentrations using leaf rust as an example

Jasper

Krößmann

Associated Student, JKI

Improving abiotic stress tolerance in sorghum

Molla

Lulie

ACGG Cohort 3, JKI

Uncovering the Genetic Basis of Cold Tolerance in Sorghum

Jing

ACGG Cohort 3, JLU

Genomic detection and selection of phosphorus efficient Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench

Erick

Mikwa

Associated student, JLU

Defining the fine scale recombination landscape of the oilseed rape genome

José

Montero

Associated student, JLU

Optimising prediction of hybrid performance in sorghum

Mohamed

Mosalam

ACCG Cohort 2, HGU

Role of structural variation in heterosis in faba bean

Ashwini

Mudke

ACGG Cohort 1, JLU

Investigations of the developmental stages sensitive to cold stress in the reproductive phase on a parent sorghum bicolor generation and their F1 hybrids

Luisa

Neitzert

Associated student, JLU

Sorghum Pangenome Graph for kmer-based Association Study using Machine-Learning

Nguyen-Hoang

ACGG Cohort 3, JLU

Genome-based pool development for enhancement of additive heterotic and dominant effects in sorghum hybrids

Uche Joshua

Okoye

ACGG Cohort 1, JLU

UMR Profiling in Faba Bean

Rose Mary

Paul

ACGG Cohort 2, JLU

Transforming symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) in mungbean: From phenomics to breeding

Hamza

Ramzan

Associated student, UQ

Investigating Low Temperature Acclimation and Cold Tolerance in Faba bean

Ritu

Rani

ACGG Cohort 2, JKI

Gene editing strategies for creation of novel genetic diversity for faba bean breeding

Mamunur

Rashid

ACGG Cohort 1, JLU

Gene expression prediction in Brassica napus using deep learning

Kevin

Rockenbach

Associated student, JLU

Identifying diversity for drought stress tolerance in faba bean (Vicia faba L.) with digital and high-resolution physiological phenotyping

Lennart

Scheer

Associated student, JLU

Genome-assisted speed-breeding in faba bean and rapid-turnaround marker-assisted selection

Rica-Hanna

Schlichtermann

ACGG Cohort 1, JLU

Bioinformatic and data management tools for faba bean and sorghum breeding

Rishi

Srivastava

ACGG Cohort 1, JLU

Genetic mapping and molecular characterization of AV1 resistances in asparagus

Moritz

Stengel

Associated student, JKI

Analysing and harnessing genetic resources for organic winter barley breeding with a focus on resistance to loose smut (Ustilago nuda).

Deboprio Roy

Sushmoy

Associated Student, JKI

Assessment of genotype-specific responses to early flooding stress in winter oilseed rape

Lars Erik

Thomsen

Associated student, JLU

Sustainable winter rapeseed production by breeding for nitrogen use efficiency and optimization of the production system

Daniel Valle

Torres

Associated Student, JKI

Genetic factors influencing female seed set to improve the effectiveness of hybrid sorghum seed production

Laura

Torres Gonzalez

Associated student, UQ

Development of genetic and genomic resources for improving seed quality traits in faba bean

Samson

Ugwuanyi

Associated student, JLU

Understanding genotype × environment × management interactions and their implementation in predictive breeding

Anika

Unger

Associated student, JLU

New approaches to maximise gain and genetic diversity in breeding programs

Kira

Villiers

Associated student, UQ

A comprehensive multi-scale phenotyping framework for improving drought stress recognition, prediction and selection in WOSR

Jason

Wenzig

Associated student, JLU

Understanding the impact of structural variations on gene expression using pangenome graphs in Brassica napus

Gözde

Yildiz

Associated student, JLU

ACGG Research Projects

Improving sorghum pollen resilience to high temperatures

Unravelling large, diverse crop genomes with graphical pangenomics – Faba bean as a case study

Overcoming linkage drag in Sorghum bicolor

Exploring genetic and epigenetic diversity within clonal populations of major Pinot varieties of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.)

Genome engineering barley root system architecture

Artificial intelligence as the basis for future plant breeding based on “Big Data”

Detection of genetic variation for heat and drought stress response in Vicia faba

FutureWheatProtein: Grain protein stability and agronomic performance of winter wheat under elevated CO₂ and drought

Evaluation and genetic analysis of resistance to dwarf smut and common bunt disease in wheat

Genomic and phenomic prediction of complex traits in apple

Characterising abiotic stress environments to support breeding climate-resilient barley in Australia

Linking plasticity of abiotic stress responses to yield stability in faba bean

Winter oilseed rape for organic farming: evolutionary bulks for resource efficiency and drought resilience

Turning up the heat on chickpea yield - a multi-omics prediction approach

Pangenome assembly, genome-wide structural variation and sequence-targeted genotyping in sorghum

Investigation of cold tolerance in sorghum bicolor considering survival rate under frost for genetic studies and the impact of different cytoplasm

WheatFACE: Phenotypic and genetic determinants for adaptation of winter wheat to increasing CO2 concentrations using leaf rust as an example

Improving abiotic stress tolerance in sorghum

Uncovering the Genetic Basis of Cold Tolerance in Sorghum

Genomic detection and selection of phosphorus efficient Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench

Defining the fine scale recombination landscape of the oilseed rape genome

Optimising prediction of hybrid performance in sorghum

Role of structural variation in heterosis in faba bean

Investigations of the developmental stages sensitive to cold stress in the reproductive phase on a parent sorghum bicolor generation and their F1 hybrids

Sorghum Pangenome Graph for kmer-based Association Study using Machine-Learning

Genome-based pool development for enhancement of additive heterotic and dominant effects in sorghum hybrids

UMR Profiling in Faba Bean

Transforming symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) in mungbean: From phenomics to breeding

Investigating Low Temperature Acclimation and Cold Tolerance in Faba bean

Gene editing strategies for creation of novel genetic diversity for faba bean breeding

Gene expression prediction in Brassica napus using deep learning

Identifying diversity for drought stress tolerance in faba bean (Vicia faba L.) with digital and high-resolution physiological phenotyping

Genome-assisted speed-breeding in faba bean and rapid-turnaround marker-assisted selection

Bioinformatic and data management tools for faba bean and sorghum breeding

Genetic mapping and molecular characterization of AV1 resistances in asparagus

Analysing and harnessing genetic resources for organic winter barley breeding with a focus on resistance to loose smut (Ustilago nuda).

Assessment of genotype-specific responses to early flooding stress in winter oilseed rape

Sustainable winter rapeseed production by breeding for nitrogen use efficiency and optimization of the production system

Genetic factors influencing female seed set to improve the effectiveness of hybrid sorghum seed production

Development of genetic and genomic resources for improving seed quality traits in faba bean

Understanding genotype × environment × management interactions and their implementation in predictive breeding

New approaches to maximise gain and genetic diversity in breeding programs

A comprehensive multi-scale phenotyping framework for improving drought stress recognition, prediction and selection in WOSR

Understanding the impact of structural variations on gene expression using pangenome graphs in Brassica napus

Characterising abiotic stress environments to support
breeding climate-resilient barley in Australia