Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Discovery Community Impact
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • Flickr
  • YouTube
  • RSS
  • About
    • Overview and History
    • Our Leadership
      • Dr. William H. Danforth
      • Dr. James C. Carrington
      • Sam Fiorello
      • John F. McDonnell
      • Board of Directors
      • Scientific Advisory Board
    • Letter from the President
    • Directory
    • Campus
    • BRDG Park
    • Contact Us
    • Careers
    • Disclosure of Funding
    • 39 North
  • Scientists & Research
    • Principal Investigators
      • Douglas Allen
      • Rebecca Bart
      • Ivan Baxter
      • Thomas Brutnell
      • James Carrington
      • Bradley S. Evans
      • Andrea Eveland
      • Noah Fahlgren
      • Malia Gehan
      • Elizabeth Kellogg
      • Toni Kutchan
      • Donald MacKenzie
      • Blake Meyers
      • Todd Mockler
      • Dmitri Nusinow
      • Sona Pandey
      • Dilip Shah
      • Nigel Taylor
      • Chris Topp
      • James Umen
      • Sam Wang
      • Ru Zhang
    • Research Institutes
      • Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels
      • Institute for International Crop Improvement
    • Core Technologies
      • Bioinformatics
      • Integrated Microscopy
      • Phenotyping
      • Plant Growth
      • Proteomics & Mass Spectrometry
      • Tissue Culture & Transformation
    • Research Areas
    • Technology Transfer
    • Research Integrity
  • Education & Outreach
    • Graduate Research
      • FAQ
      • Current Graduate Students
    • Research Internships
      • Description
      • Research Areas
      • Housing
      • Current Program
      • Prior Programs
      • Contact Us
      • Apply
    • Science Education
      • Tech Trunks
      • Programs
    • Career Development (CSTM)
      • CSTM News Archive
      • CSTM Events Photo Gallery
      • CSTM Chairs
      • CSTM Travel Awards
    • The Maker Group
  • Events
    • Scientific Seminars
    • Symposia & Workshops
      • Fall Symposia
      • June 2018 Confocal Workshop
    • Host an Event
      • Slideshow
      • Map
    • Public Events
  • News & Media
    • News Releases
    • Roots & Shoots Blog
    • In the News
    • Infographics
    • Logos & Images
    • Videos
      • State of the Center
      • Conversations Programs
      • Special Events
      • Interviews
      • Virtual Tours
    • Publications
      • Leaflet
      • Annual Report
      • Achievement Report
      • IICI Highlights
      • ERAC Highlights
      • Focus On
  • Support
    • Giving Impact
    • Ways to Give
      • Gifts of Securities
      • Tribute Gifts
      • Donate
    • Corporate Partners
    • Individual Giving Societies
      • Danforth Society
      • Friends of Plant Science
      • Legacy Society
    • Get Involved
      • Attend An Event
      • Tours
      • Sign Up
    • Planned Giving
  • Donate
  • Home/
  • News & Media/
  • News Releases/
  • News Item
  • News Releases
  • Roots & Shoots Blog
  • In the News
  • Infographics
  • Logos & Images
  • Videos
    • State of the Center
    • Conversations Programs
    • Special Events
    • Interviews
    • Virtual Tours
  • Publications
    • Leaflet
    • Annual Report
    • Achievement Report
    • IICI Highlights
    • ERAC Highlights
    • Focus On

Features

39 NORTH Launched

39 North Innovation District Plan Unveiled

science-in-our-food
TEDx Talk by Dr. Jim Carrington

The Science in Our Food

News Releases

Back to Results

National Science Foundation supports research aimed at reducing the use of fertilizer

Wednesday, 25 January 2012

Project includes student mentoring program

ST. LOUIS, MO, January 25, 2012 – The National Science Foundation awarded $1.3 million to support research to reduce the amount of fertilizer used required to grow maize led by Ivan Baxter, USDA Research Scientist, Assistant Member, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. The program includes collaboration with the University of Minnesota, Purdue University and Cornell University. The three year grant will also support training opportunities for young scientists, aspiring scientists, teachers and international scientists. Maize is the most widely adapted and adopted crop on the planet. This is largely due to the high degree of genetic and phenotypic diversity that can be harnessed into adaptation for local conditions. While progress has been made in understanding some aspects of adaptation such as flowering time, little progress has been made with respect to adaptation to soil conditions. Mineral Nutrient Gene Discovery and Gene X Environment Interactions in Maize will focus on Nested Association Mapping (NAM) population, a unique and powerful genetic resource, to identify genes controlling the elemental composition of maize. Baxter’s research will identify how different genes interact with mineral nutrients and toxic elements from various soil conditions to create a better understanding how soil environments play a role in the functional state of maize.  The goal is to use this information to produce a more nutritious crop that can grow in more environments while using less fertilizer, thereby preserving the environment. “The USDA-ARS lab at the Danforth Center can rapidly analyze large genetic populations of the diverse staple crop with the statistically powerful resource of Nested Association Mapping,” said Baxter. “The grant addresses issues critical for agriculture, the environment and human health and will further our understanding of how soil conditions affect the elemental composition of maize.” To further education on this important topic, student and teacher internships will be sponsored in St. Louis, MO, St. Paul, MN and Ithaca, NY.  In addition, educational resources will be developed to assist high school teachers in incorporating bioinformatics and plant molecular biology into their curricula. Participants will also mentor high school students in science through eScience, a program utilizing technology to link students and scientists.   About The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Founded in 1998, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a not-for-profit research institute with a mission to improve the human condition through plant science. Research at the Danforth Center will feed the hungry and improve human health, preserve and renew the environment, and enhance the St. Louis region and Missouri as a world center for plant science. The Center’s work is funded through competitive grants and contract revenue from many sources, including the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Agency for International Development and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center invites you to visit its new website, www.danforthcenter.org, featuring interactive information on the Center’s scientists, news and research, including the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels, the Center for Advanced Biofuel Research, and the National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts. Public education outreach, RSS feeds and the brand-new “Roots & Shoots” blog help keep visitors up to date with Center’s current operations and areas of research. Follow us on Twitter at @DanforthCenter.

###

For additional information, contact:
Karla Roeber, (314) 587-1231
kroeber@danforthcenter.org
Melanie Bernds, (314) 587-1647
mbernds@danforthcenter.org

Find similar articles with the same Keywords

| USDA-ARS labsoilNSFNAMmaizeIvan Baxter

Quick Links

  • Job Applicants
  • News & Media
  • Education & Students
  • Directory
  • Potential Donors
  • Winter Weather

Contact

  • Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
  • 975 North Warson Road
  • St. Louis, Missouri 63132
  • info@danforthcenter.org
  • 314.587.1000

Online Community

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • Flickr
  • YouTube

©2018 Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. All rights reserved

  • Careers
  • Media
  • Directory
  • Site Map