The Agricultural Research Organisation
The group of Dr Eyal Fridman based at the Agricultural Research Organization of Israel is a leading laboratory in the exploration of the genetic and phenotypic basis for wild barley adaptation using phenomics and genomics. The lab has established the Barley1K collection which is considered one of the best crop wild relative collections in the world owing to its detailed ecogeographic data. They also developed the wild barley cytoplasmic multi-parent population (CMPP) in the cultivated Noga background. They bring barley genetic material suitable to perform genome wide analysis study (GWAS) and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for the MoVap traits in barley. This is including examination of chloroplast diversity effects and examining novel genotypes with improved photosynthetic traits in semi-controlled net house and open field. In addition, the group will examine pleiotropic (shared) effects of QTLs for circadian clock, MoVap, and yield traits, by examining novel genotypes with improved photosynthetic traits.
Dr Eyal Fridman
Eyal specializes in exploring ways to understand what drives evolution of crop plants and how naturally-occurring variation could be utilized to improve modern crop adaptation to changing environments. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking with family and jogging with Leo, his dog.
“CAPITALISE is a timely and exciting project in which an excellent team of diverse groups are coming together to understand and utilize diversity that was lost under domestication and breeding. Combining genomics and state-of-the-art photosynthesis analysis will uncover hitherto unknown mechanisms that will provide leads for breeding next-generation adaptive crops.”
Eyal Bdolach (Phd student)
Eyal is developing phenomic infrastructure and genetic material (CMPP) to allow association between wild alleles and MoVap. In addition, he is examining pleiotropy of DOC loci that affect photosynthesis rhythmicity with yield traits in the field.
Dr Lalit Dev Tiwari
Lalit is focusing on genetic loci and alleles that modulate the source-sink relationship including changes in rhythms of photosynthesis under different thermal environments. Besides, he applies genome editing and allele mining approaches to fine-map causality of wild introgressions and perform functional analysis of mutants in candidate genes.