Taming wild relatives of the potato - making use of the wild plants for better crops
During his PhD studies, Aristotelis Azariadis explored the untapped potential of the wild relatives of the modern potato crop, Solanum tuberosum.
Wild species in general represent a pool of valuable agronomic attributes and traits lost from modern crops during the domestication process that has been left mostly unexplored. After identifying candidate species for de novo domestication, Aristotelis Azariadis assessed their potential and developed protocols for new breeding techniques of these species. Finally, he successfully genetically edited a wild, tuber-bearing, Solanum species, Solanum bulbocastanum with the use of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technologies.
The new research findings and developed techniques can serve as a roadmap towards the potential de novo domestication of other wild species and the better use of the available diversity for the eventual introduction of new crops, with better characteristics.
The PhD study was completed at the Section for Crop Genetics and Biotechnology, Department of Agroecology, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University.
This summary was prepared by the PhD student.
Time: Friday, 24 October 2024 at 14:00
Place: Building 7613, Auditorium C101, Aarhus University, Flakkebjerg, Forsøgsvej 1, 4200 Slagelse
Title of PhD thesis: De novo domestication of wild, tuber-bearing Solanum species
Contact information: Aristotelis Azariadis, e-mail: aristoteles@agro.au.dk, tel.: +45 40601773
Members of the assessment committee:
Senior scientist, Jack Vossen, Wageningen Plant Research, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
Professor, Kåre Lehmann Nielsen, Department of Chemistry and Biosciences, Aalborg University, Denmark
Senior researcher, Henrik Skovgaard (chair), Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Denmark
Main supervisor:
Associate Professor Kim Henrik Hebelstrup, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Denmark
Co-supervisor:
Professor Henrik Brinch-Pedersen, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Denmark
Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English
The defence is public.
The PhD thesis is available for reading at the Graduate School of Technical Sciences/GSTS,
Jens Baggesens Vej 53, building 5221, 8200 Aarhus N.