Due to the importance of legumes in human nutrition and the renewed interest in these crops, there is currently a need for improving the levels of essential amino acids – the building blocks of proteins – that translocate to the seed. To do so, it is first important to understand the mechanisms that control the transport of amino acids from photosynthetic source leaves to the reproductive sinks, particularly seed cotyledons, and to identify potential bottlenecks limiting their transport.
To achieve the above aim, you will perform phenotypic (e.g. biomass, pod weight and number, total N), biochemical and molecular analyses in pea cultivars differing in productivity and seed protein amount. Specifically, you will get training in amino acid (HPLC), sugar (HPAEC), gene expression (qPCR) and protein analysis.
It is envisaged that outcomes of this work will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.
