This award provides funding for 5 graduate student positions in a new training program in the identification, recovery and use of plant genetic resources. The 18 participating faculty come from two institutions (Washington University, the Missouri Botanical Garden) and the Monsanto Corporation, which is providing additional funding for the project. The faculty bring expertise in three main areas (plant and evolutionary biology, conservation and systematic biology, and plant biotechnology) to the program which will emphasize the identification of useful plants, the analysis of plant compounds and the genetic engineering of useful traits. Training will include two new courses, one a course in natural products chemistry, the other a seminar series in plant genetics resources and biotechnology. A new internship program at Monsanto will provide trainees with additional training in an industrial setting.
