Over the coming decades, plant research must respond to ever-increasing global demands for food and energy resources with a focus on developing sustainable practices to address these needs. One major aim is the reduction of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer usage in agriculture since these nitrogen chemicals cause serious pollution of the environment. the focus of this research project is on nitrogen uptake and partitioning within the plant, specifically in the form of amino acids, in order to understand how these processes affect plant growth and biomass yields. Key components in plant amino acid transport have already been identified and it will be determined whether modifications in transport processes can promote the acclimation of plants to low nitrogen soils. Additionally, by using genetic, molecular, biochemical, and physiological approaches it is anticipated that important insights into the mechanisms of nutrient partitioning and nitrogen transport efficiency will be gained that might lead to improvements in plant growth, seed quality and yields without intensive nitrogen fertilization. At the academic level, the proposed research will integrate research with science education by promoting student training in plant biology. Wit is anticipated that the outcomes of this project will provide a basis for further studies on plant transport processes and interrelated metabolic networks with long-term goals of developing strategies to secure plant productivity for food and biofuel production while still protecting the environment.
