Summer Undergraduate Research Experience  >  Research Topics/Projects Available

Amylomaize starch is required as raw material for a number of specialty food and non-food uses. The focus of the breeding program at Truman State University has been towards the development of high-amylose corn in collaboration with the Germplasm Enhancement of Maize (GEM) program involving many public university researchers and private seed companies. GEM materials are corn populations of tropical origins that have been previously identified from a number of research programs as having beneficial traits. Truman has served as a public coordinator and has found GEM materials to be a source of modifying genes that work with the recessive amylose-extender (ae) allele to elevate starch amylose to 70% or greater. High amylose starch is important in a variety of food and non-food applications. In addition, development of amylomaize VII germplasm using GEM materials may potentially increase the existing diversity for this class of specialty grain and serve as an important source of genes for improving other agronomic traits. The four main objectives shown include: (1) identification and development of inbreds possessing modifying genes that work with the ae allele (ae normally results in starch having only around 55% amylose) to raise amylose levels to 70% or greater (A.K.A. amylomaize VII corn), (2) introgression of GEM germplasm previously selected for yield into amylomaize VII germplasm, (3) development and evaluation of test hybrids using proprietary amylomaize VII testers and, (4) development of analytical techniques to improve identification of desirable starch properties such as starch amylose and starch content.

Basic biology and chemistry