The lab is associated with many research projects. Links to some of these projects and other interesting websites are listed below.

USDA Agricultural Research Service
The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. Our job is finding solutions to agricultural problems that affect Americans every day, from field to table.

NSF Funded Project: Genetic Architecture of Maize and Teosinte
Genetic architecture is the constellation of gene effects and interactions that underlie variation in a quantitative trait -- the map between phenotype and genotype. The goal of this NSF-funded project is to improve our understanding of the genetic architecture of four complex trait groups in maize and teosinte: domestication syndrome, flowering time, plant height, and kernel quality. To do this, we utilize 1) nested-association mapping (NAM), linkage, association, and fine mapping analyses to identify QTL and candidate genes, 2) nearly isogenic lines (NILs) to characterize allelic series and epistatic interactions, 3) genetic architecture-based models to predict phenotype in a broad range of germplasm. The genetic architectures of the four trait groups are compared and contrasted, all in the context of how recombination and past domestication bottlenecks have influenceced the genomic distribution of functional diversity.

Division of Plant Sciences at the University of Missouri
The Division of Plant Sciences was formed through the consolidation of the former departments of Agronomy, Entomology, Horticulture, and Plant Microbiology & Pathology. The Division of Plant Sciences provides leadership for plant, insect, and microbe-based research, education and extension programs in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Interdisciplinary Plant Group
The interdisciplinary research and study programs at the University of Missouri involve research teams from six divisions-- Agronomy, Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, Forestry, Nutritional Sciences, and Plant Microbiology and Pathology. This truly unique interdisciplinary environment brings together the approaches and tools of all of these disciplines to study plants and plant-related biological processes.

The Germplasm Enhancement of Maize (GEM) Project
The GEM Project is a cooperative research effort of the USDA-ARS, land grant universities, private industry, and international and non-governmental organizations to broaden the germplasm base of maize.