Objective The widening of gene pool of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) by employing its wild relatives as donors of new alleles and genes will ensure the ability of wheat to sustain yield quality and quantity under adverse environmental conditions. Species from genus Aegilops represent a rich source of agronomically important traits, such as leaf rust resistance, grain nutritional quality and abiotic stress tolerance. To date, the utilization of wild genetic diversity has been hampered by low throughput of methods used to select introgression lines and the lack of knowledge on the genomes of wild relatives. The multidisciplinary AEGILWHEAT project integrates the applicant’s expertise in interspecific hybridization and cytomolecular genome analysis of Aegilops species with the state of art expertise in flow-cytometric sorting and genomic analysis of plant mitotic chromosomes in the Centre of Plant structural and Functional genomics (IEB, Olomouc, CZ). The aims of this project are to (1) isolate individual U and M chromosomes from Aegilops biuncialis and (2) identify their gene content and produce polymorphic markers (SNPs, INDELs) by next-generation sequencing and bioinformatic analyses. The genes and new markers will be integrated into (3) a new high resolution genetic linkage map of Ae. biuncialis. The marker-assisted selection system based on the ordered markers will be used for the (4) high throughput selection of wheat-Ae. biuncialis introgression lines. The training through the research will extend the expertise of the applicant by new skills in molecular genetics, genomics and bioinformatics so that he can apply innovative genomics approaches to speed up his wheat pre-breeding programmes in Hungary. The project will deliver valuable information to geneticists and breeders on chromosome structure and genome evolution within the tribe Triticeae and provide molecular tools to support cost-effective transfer of wild alleles into wheat. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesmolecular biologymolecular geneticsagricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturegrains and oilseedsnatural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticschromosomesnatural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsgenomes Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Main Programme H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility Topic(s) MSCA-IF-2016 - Individual Fellowships Call for proposal H2020-MSCA-IF-2016 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF Coordinator USTAV EXPERIMENTALNI BOTANIKY AV CR Net EU contribution € 154 720,80 Address ROZVOJOVA 263 165 02 PRAHA 6 Czechia See on map Region Česko Praha Hlavní město Praha Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 154 720,80