Texas A&M AgriLife Research
6500 Amarillo Blvd W                                           View Curriculum Vitae
Amarillo, TX 79106                                               View Small Grains Genetic Program
Phone: (806)677-5600                                          View Publications
Fax: (806)677-5644
Email Shuyu

Experience
Assistant Professor in Small Grains Genetics and Genomics, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Amarillo, TX, 2010 – Present

Adjunct professor, Dept. of Agricultural Sciences, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, TX, 2012 – Present

Research Scientist in Small Grain Breeding, Genetics and Genomics at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 2007 – 2010

Visiting Fellow in Common Bean Breeding and molecular Genetics at Agriculture Agri-Food Canada – Harrow Research Center, 2004 – 2007

Expertise
Molecular mapping of genes/QTL associated with important traits of crops.
Identification, validation and application of molecular markers linked to traits of interest.
Molecular cloning of genes linked to important traits.
Marker-assisted breeding to develop germplasm lines and cultivars in Small Grains and Common Bean.

Research Projects and Goals
Genetic and genomic studies of important traits of wheat in Great Plains. Traits include drought and heat tolerance, resistance to diseases (leaf, stem and stripe rust, wheat streak mosaic virus), and insects (greenbug, Russian wheat aphid, and Hessian fly) as well as good end-use quality. Both traditional and molecular breeding techniques are used to develop germplasm lines with one or more target traits. Genomic techniques including gene/QTL mapping, target molecular marker identification, validation and utilization, gene cloning, gene functional analysis will be used to understand and improve those target traits.

1)    Cloning of Gb3, identification of candidate genes through Affymatrix DNA microarray and genetic mapping of other greenbug resistant genes.

2)    Genetic mapping and genomics studies of QTL for important traits in adapted cultivars.  Study drought tolerance through transcriptomic and  hormonomic analyses of water stressed wheat plants.

3)    Developing germplasm lines with multiple favorable alleles with drought tolerance, insect and wheat streak mosaic virus resistances.

Staff
Srirama Krishna Reddy, Assistant Research Scientist
Maria Fuentealba, Research Assistant
Cody Shachter, Amarillo College, Junior, Student Worker
Jay Martin, West Texas A&M University, Junior, Student Worker
Peihua Yan, Part Time Worker

Graduate Students
Ocheya, Silvano Assanga, Wheat breeding and genetics, College Station, Ph.D. Candidate (Major advisor)
Smit Dhakal, Wheat breeding and genetics, West Texas A&M University, M.S. Candidate (Major advisor)
Bharath Krishna Reddy, Wheat Breeding and Genetics, College Station, Ph. D. Candidate (Committee member)
Ms. Padmavathi Sengodon, Ph.D. Candidate (Committee Member), College Station, TAMU

Previous Student Workers
Serina Nelson (WTAMU graduate, July 2011 – June 2012, Biology)
Benjamin Brooks (WTAMU MS student in Biology, May 2011 – Aug 2011)
Zac Badrow (WTAMU MS student in Biology, Nov 2010 – Feb 2011)
Jared Suhr (WTAMU graduate, Crop Soil and Environmental Sciences, Oct 2010 – June 2011)