Group introduced

Areas of Research

Ø  Genetic Analysis and Breeding Methodology

Ø  QTL mapping methodology

Ø  Multi-parental populations and mating design

Ø  Modeling of plant breeding

Ø  Breeding with known gene information

Ø  Tool and Software Development

Ø  Linkage construction tool

Ø  QTL mapping software

Ø  Breeding simulation tools

Ø  Integrated genetics and breeding tool

Ø  Genetics and Breeding Applications

Ø  High-density linkage map construction

Ø  Analysis methods in various genetic populations

Ø  Simulation and optimization of breeding strategy

Ø  Design approach of breeding

National Research Projects

Ø  “Theoretical Study on Pyramiding Multiple Genes and Its Application in Rice”, funded by the National 863 Program of China for High Technological Research (2006 – 2010)

Ø  “Basic Research on the Genetic Characteristics of Key Parental Lines and Their Efficient Utilization in Breeding”, funded by the National 973 Program of China for Key Basic Scientific Research (2006 – 2010; 2011 – 2015)

Ø   “Prediction of Hybrid Performance in Maize Breeding”, funded by the Natural Science Foundation of China (2008 –2010)

Ø  “Mating Designs of Multiple Parents and Its Genetic Analysis”, funded by the Natural Science Foundation of China (2011 – 2013)

International Collaborations

Ø  “Strategic Framework to Model CIMMYT Wheat Breeding Programs with Application to Australia”, funded by GRDC, Australia (2000 – 2004).

Ø  “Optimizing Marker-assisted Breeding Systems for Drought Tolerance in Cereals through Linkage of Physiological and Genetic Models”, funded by the Generation Challenge Program (GCP) (2005 – 2007)

Ø  “Optimization of Crossing and Selection Strategies in Improving Micronutrient Concentrations in HarvestPlus Crops”, funded by the HarvestPlus Challenge Program (2007 – 2010)

Ø   “Breeding for Drought Tolerance with Known Gene Information”, funded by GCP (2008 – 2010)

Ø   “Develop and Deploy Simulation Tools for Complex GE Systems (IBP-Activity 2.2.3)”, funded by GCP (2009 – 2014)

Ø  “Breeding to optimize Chinese Agriculture”, funded by Seventh framework programme OPTICHINA (2011- 2013).

Ø  “New methods and integrated tools for crop molecular genetics and breeding research”, funded by Special foundation for EU scientific and technological cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2012- 2013)

Selected Publications on Genetics

Ø  Wang J., et al. 2006. QTL mapping of grain length in rice (Oryza sativa L.) using chromosome segment substitution lines. Genet. Res. 88: 93-104

Ø  Li H., et al. 2007. A modified algorithm for the improvement of composite interval mapping. Genetics 175: 361-374

Ø  Zhang L., et al. 2008. Interactions between markers can be caused by the dominance effect of QTL. Genetics 180: 1177-1190

Ø  Li H., et al. 2008. Inclusive composite interval mapping (ICIM) for digenic epistasis of quantitative traits in biparental populations. Theor. Appl. Genet. 116: 243-260

Ø  Zhang L., et al. 2010. Effects of missing marker and segregation distortion on QTL mapping in F₂ populations. Theor. Appl. Genet. 121: 1071-1082

Ø  Li H., et al. 2010. Statistical properties of QTL linkage mapping in biparental genetic populations. Heredity 105: 257-267

Ø  Li H., et al. 2011. Joint QTL linkage mapping for multiple-cross mating design sharing one common parent. PLoS ONE 6(3): e17573

Ø  Wang Y., et al. 2012. On the use of mathematically-derived traits in QTL mapping. Mol. Breed. 29:661-673

Ø  Zhang L., et al. 2012. The Statistical Power of Inclusive Composite Interval Mapping in Detecting Digenic Epistasis Showing Common F₂ Segregation Ratios. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology 54 (4): 270–279

Ø  Li H., et al. 2012. Estimation of statistical power and false discovery rate of QTL mapping methods through computer simulation. Chinese Science Bulletin (accepted)

Selected Publications on Breeding

Ø  Wang J., et al. 2003. Comparison of two breeding strategies by computer simulation. Crop Science 43:1764-1773.

Ø  Wang J., et al. 2005. Using computer simulation of the selection process and known gene information to assist in parental selection in wheat quality breeding. Aus. J. Agric. Res. 56: 465-473.

Ø  Wang J., et al. 2007. Application of identified QTL-marker associations in rice quality improvement through a design breeding approach. Theor. Appl. Genet. 115: 87-100.

Ø  Wang J., et al. 2007. Application of population genetic theory and simulation models to efficiently pyramid multiple genes via marker-assisted selection. Crop Science 47: 580-588.

Ø  Wang J., et al. 2009. Investigating the efficiency of the single backcrossing breeding strategy through computer simulation. Theor. Appl. Genet. 118: 683-694.

Ø  Wang J., et al. 2009. Simultaneous selection of major and minor genes: use of QTL to increase selection efficiency of coleoptile length of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Theor. Appl. Genet. 119: 65-74.