Sandra Branham, Ph.D.
Bio: Dr. Sandra Branham is an assistant professor of vegetable breeding and genetics at Clemson University’s Coastal Research and Education Center in Charleston, SC. Her research focus is genomics-enabled improvement of vegetable crops, particularly for resistance to diseases and heat stress. Prior to joining Clemson University, Dr. Branham completed a PhD at the University of Texas at Austin in Plant Genetics and was a postdoctoral research scientist at the US Vegetable Laboratory (USDA-ARS).
Title:
Genomics-enabled vegetable breeding for production in the Southeastern US
Abstract:
The Southeastern region of the United States represents a critical component of vegetable production for our nation both in terms of diversity of cropping systems and total quantity. The warm, wet climate of the Southeast is not only a direct stress on crop production but leads to high disease pressure in the region. Breeding for locally-adapted germplasm (particularly for heat tolerance and disease resistance) will be necessary to ensure a sustainable production system. The focus of my research is genomics-assisted breeding of vegetable crops (Brassica leafy greens, spinach, snapbeans, Cucurbits) through 1) development of genomic resources, 2) exploring the genetic and phenotypic diversity of the USDA germplasm repositories, 3) identifying QTL associated with resistance to heat and disease, 4) developing and testing molecular markers associated with phenotypes of interest, and 5) population development for marker validation, trait introgression and gene pyramiding. The presentation will provide an overview of my current progress in establishing a new vegetable breeding program at Clemson University.
