Chris is an Associate Professor in the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Clemson University. He holds both a B.S and Ph.D. from Clemson University in microbiology and genetics, respectively. His expertise is in systems genetics and functional genomics in crop and weed species. Chris’s research at Clemson University is focused on linking genome structure with function to advance crop breeding, productivity, horticultural traits, and resilience to abiotic/biotic stresses. His current projects are mainly directed at crop improvement using systems-level gene discovery techniques and genome editing/engineering to improve or enhance crop performance.
Title: Improvements in somatic regeneration and plant architecture in upland cotton
Abstract: Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation and somatic regeneration offer a promising approach to create stable, genetically modified plants with consistent traits. However, in many crop species, only a limited number of genotypes can efficiently regenerate whole plants from a single somatic cell. This is due to the suppression of totipotency, a crucial ability encoded in the genome but often inactive in most genotypes, making them resistant to regeneration. In this study, we describe our endeavors to enhance our understanding of the genetic mechanisms behind somatic regeneration and present a case study showcasing the rapid generation of new phenotypes in upland cotton using our improved transformation system
