Baohua Wang

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Education:

Research Interests:

1. In China: Carry out experiments on molecular markers such as SSR, RAPD, SRAP and AFLP. Using data of F8 and F9 generations of RILs derived from elite cotton hybrid Xiangzamian2 planted in two years and two locations, QTLs for plant architecture, yield and yield-component and fiber quality traits were mapped. Consequently, an Immortalized F2 population was developed by intercrossing of the RILs and it was planted in two years to further detect genetic basis of heterosis. Meanwhile, molecular mechanism of heterosis was studied by method of DDRT-PCR and DNA methylation using materials of Xiangzamian2 and its two parents in different growing periods.

2. In USA: There are five tetraploid species of Gossypium designated (AD)1 through (AD)5 for their genome constitutions, namely G. hirsutum, G. barbadense, G. tomentosum, G. mustelinum, and G. darwinii. To date, genetic maps have been developed from interspecific crosses between G. hirsutum and G. barbadense (HB), and G. hirsutum and G. tomentosum (HT). However, much less is known about transmission genetics and genome organization in the other two naturally occurring allopolyploid cottons. To extract agriculturally valuable alleles from G. mustelinum, it is necessary to understand the basic transmission genetics in crosses between this species and cultivated cotton. In order to explore the genome of G. mustelinum by crossing with G. hirsutum (HM), I am constructing an interspecific genetic map (HM) using an F2 population and comparison of this map with the HB maps will be made to help reveal evolution of cotton. Meanwhile, QTLs for yield and fiber quality will be tagged by using advanced backcross populations derived from the same parents.