GENOMICS

In the Lawton-Rauh Laboratory, we test for mechanisms responsible for observed patterns of genetic and trait variation primarily in plants. We study the genomes of Rosaceous crops (peaches, cherries, apples), crop and weedy rice (Oryza spp), and amaranths to understand population level processes that lead to adaptation and improved cultivars with optimized trait combinations (such as disease resistance and shelf life). Sometimes cultivars and wild relatives also become weeds. So, studying wild relatives and weeds can provide tools for developing more sustainable cultivars that are resilient to stressors such as water (drought and flood), temperature, fungi, insects, pathogens, and pesticides (including herbicides). A summary of our work in weedy and domesticated species was published in Clemson's Glimpse magazine Fall 2014 (written by Peter Kent): Glimpse "Pestilence of Pigweed" Fall 2014 Cotton field without Amaranthus palmeri (left), and taken over by glyphosate resistant A.palmeri..

Primary location: Clemson United States