Professor, Dr. Shahid Mukhtar has received a $830.055 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to employ artificial intelligence to study how individual plant cells control their genes. These answers could help researchers and breeders develop more resilient crops.
“Different cells may function differently in different environmental conditions, developmental stages or under stress,” said Shahid Mukhtar, a professor in the Department of Genetics and Biochemistry who is leading the project. “If we’re going to figure out precision genetic editing, we need to first learn gene regulation at the single-cell level.”
Being able to advance precision genetic editing may later help researchers target the cells most important to drought tolerance, heat resilience or disease defense, Dr. Mukhtar notes.
Mukhtar also plans to create an Artificial Intelligence and Genomics Teaching Camp (AGTC), which will introduce high school students to AI and genomics, fields that are becoming increasingly connected. The acronym AGTC reflects the four chemical bases that make up DNA: adenine, guanine, thymine and cytosine.
“AGTC will give students an opportunity to see how biology and computing can work together to answer important questions about the living world,” Mukhtar said. “By introducing students to AI and genomics early, we hope to encourage their curiosity and help prepare the next generation of scientists.”
Read more in the Clemson News article.
