The labs are a part of the Northern Missouri Soybean Breeding and Genetics Program in the Division of Plant Science and Technology at the University of Missouri. The labs focus on three aspects:
- Breeding new soybean varieties for the farmers of Missouri and Midwestern U.S.: Molecular breeding complements traditional breeding methods for more efficient and accurate selection of ideal plants. They use marker-assisted selection, marker-assisted backcrossing, and genomic selection to accelerate the development of new varieties with high yield and desirable traits such as high oleic and low linolenic seed composition, resistance to soybean cyst nematode and other important pathogens, increased seed protein content, and tolerance to herbicides used in the Enlist E3™ platform. These molecular tools and techniques accelerate the development of new experimental lines for broad field testing and leading to faster crop improvement.
- Training students: Missouri Soybeans along with MU has a goal to educate students by exposing them to a variety of molecular breeding methods through hands-on practical experiences that create unique research opportunities. The lab is designed to provide foundational knowledge and practical skills in molecular tools, genomic selection, and bioinformatics.
- Research and discoveries: The labs make it possible for groundbreaking scientific research where the focus is on new genetic discoveries that advance the current knowledge base of soybean genetics and genomics. The ultimate goal is to implement these new discoveries into plant breeding, supporting the development of new cultivars with novel traits that can contribute to sustainable agriculture.