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.

Bioinformatic and data management tools for faba bean and sorghum breeding

Rishi Srivastava

Data manager / ACGG cohort 1, JLU

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

Venkataramana Kopalli

ACGG Cohort 1, JLU

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

Uche Joshua Okoye

ACGG Cohort 1, JLU

Role of structural variation in heterosis in faba bean

Ashwini Mudke

ACGG Cohort 1, JLU

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

Mamunur Rashid

ACGG Cohort 1, JLU

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

Rica-Hanna Schlichtermann

ACGG Cohort 1, JLU

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

Charlotte Häuser

ACGG Cohort 2, JLU

Optimising prediction of hybrid performance in sorghum

Mohamed Mosalam

ACCG Cohort 2, HGU

Overcoming linkage drag in Sorghum bicolor

Zsa Zsa Boyny

ACGG Cohort 2, JLU

UMR Profiling in Faba Bean

Rose Mary Paul

ACGG Cohort 2, JLU

Investigating Low Temperature Acclimation and Cold Tolerance in Faba bean

Ritu Rani

ACGG Cohort 2, JKI

Improving abiotic stress tolerance in sorghum

Molla Lulie

ACGG Cohort 3, JKI

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

An Nguyen-Hoang

ACGG Cohort 3, JLU

Uncovering the Genetic Basis of Cold Tolerance in Sorghum

Jing Ma

ACGG Cohort 3, JLU

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

Kübra Arslan

Associated student, 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

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

Lennard Ehrig

Associated student, 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

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

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

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

Samson Ugwuanyi

Associated student, JLU

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

Gözde Yildiz

Associated student, JLU

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

Fatiha Eli

Associated Student, JKI

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

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

Claire Ferreira

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

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

Paulo Callipo

Associated Student, HGU

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

Daniel Valle Torres

Associated Student, JKI

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

Jason Wenzig

Associated student, JLU

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

Anika Unger

Associated student, JLU

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

Lars Erik Thomsen

Associated student, JLU

Genetic mapping and molecular characterization of AV1 resistances in asparagus

Moritz Stengel

Associated student, JKI

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

Daiana Jambul

Associated student, JKI

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

Ahmed Elkhouly

Associated student, JKI