9403486 Simon This U.S.-Brazil award will support collaboration between Dr. Philipp Simon of the University of Wisconsin, and Dr. Amaury Buso of Empresa Brazileira de Pesquisa Agropecuaria (EMBRAPA). This project will establish cooperative research to advance the genetic manipulation of garlic (Allium Sativum L.) in vitro and in plants. The research will perfect and expand true garlic seed production and develop methods of garlic cell culture and genetic transformation. Garlic, which is an important vegetable crop the world over, has been domesticated for thousands of years but sexual reproduction has been unknown. Generation of sexual recombinants is limited. Because a system of genetic transformation has not been developed which would allow foreign genes to be introduced, a virus-free garlic can be produced, but viral genes for cross-protection cannot be inserted. The U.S. researcher's work has enabled sexual reproduction and evaluation of variation in garlic, while the Brazilian researchers have worked extensively with garlic cell culture and plant production. The two sides will exchange their expertise and complementary skills to generate new garlic variation from sexual reproduction and develop a system for introducing foreign genes into garlic. The research will be accomplished through an exchange of visits between the U. Wisconsin Agricultural Research Service and EMBRAPA. ***
