P3 Program Introducing New Technology, Teamwork to the Classroom
Plant Sensors Bringing Class Concepts to Life
By Caitlin Ware, Office of the Vice President for Research
Since its start in 2015, Iowa State University’s Predictive Plant Phenomics (P3) graduate program has focused on changing the narrative surrounding plant biology to increase crop productivity and meet industry demands for food and fuel. This semester, the program is kicking off a new initiative to bring what has been illustrated through textbooks and lectures to life, giving students the ability to track real-time data with the help of sensors designed to predict plant growth and productivity.
Connecting silos: Iowa State University scientists call for unconventional collaboration in agriculture
Iowa State University researchers hope to connect the “silos” of various disciplines by encouraging wide collaboration to address agricultural challenges. The effort is part of the Genomes to Fields Initiative, which began in 2014 to make genomic data related to corn as widely available as possible. DOI
Read more about collaboration in agriculture
Maize Genomes to Fields: 2014 and 2015 field season genotype, phenotype, environment, and inbred ear image datasets
The maize Genomes to Fields (G2F) Initiative is a multi-institutional organization of scientists working to generate and analyze such datasets from existing, publicly available inbred lines and hybrids. G2F’s genotype by environment project has released 2014 and 2015 datasets to the public. DOI
Anti-GMO articles tied to Russian sites, ISU research shows
Russia is funding articles shared online that question the safety of GMOs in an effort hurt U.S. agriculture interests and bolster its position as the "ecologically clean alternative" to genetically engineered food, said Shawn Dorius, an ISU assistant sociology professor. Dorius led the research with Carolyn Lawrence-Dill, an associate professor in ISU's departments of agronomy and genetics, development and cell biology.
Phenotyping hackathon streamlines plant science
On February 14-16 2017, a group of researchers and informaticians from various universities including Iowa State University participated and tackled problems at a 3 day plant and crop phenotyping hackathon hosted by CyVerse at the BIO5 Institute at University of Arizona (UA).
Genomes by environment dataset now publicly accessible
A unique dataset that directly links crop genotype and phenotype information with environmental data is now publicly accessible in the CyVerse Data Commons.
Carolyn Lawrence is featured in ISU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' magazine 'STORIES' Vol.10 No.2 2016
On February 14-16 2017, a group of researchers and informaticians from various universities including Iowa State University participated and tackled problems at a 3 day plant and crop phenotyping hackathon hosted by CyVerse at the BIO5 Institute at University of Arizona (UA).
BMS Developer Community: The IBP works closely with the Lawrence Lab (Iowa State University) and the iPlant Collaborative under the Genomes to Fields project to improve breeding data management
The Genomes to Fields (G2F) Initiative is a collaborative effort to develop advanced maize improvement strategies based on combining phenotypic trait data, environmental observations, and genetic information. G2F seeks to correlate environment, genes, and traits to provide researchers with more predictive power in plant selection than ever before.
Iowa State University research: G-quadruplexes in corn genome may control stress response
Genetic structures in corn shed light on how crops respond to floods and other environmental stresses.
Read more about G-quadruplexes
IBP meets partners for Genomes2Fields Initiative
On 10-12 November 2014, a group of collaborators from Iowa State University, CIMMYT, iPlant Collaborative and Leafnode LLC gathered to create a shared understanding of the capabilities of the Breeding Management System within the Genomes2Fields initiative.
Growing with HPC
Much of the HPC culture has to do with growth, whether expanding our predictions about the future of machinery or figuring out new ways to interact with particles. For Associate Professor Carolyn Lawrence, HPC helps her work with natural growth - in ways that were never before possible.
Change Agent: Carolyn Lawrence
Carolyn Lawrence, an enthusiast of extreme data management and motorcycles, is working to create new data tools for plant breeders, an effort that could speed up the development of new stress-resistant crop varieties.