Exploring genetic diversity in rice for better nitrogen recycling and reduced NH3 emissions under stress
PhD Candidate: Tanvir Ahammed
Supervisors: Dr Sigrid Heuer (Rothamsted), Dr Erik Murchie (UoN) and Dr Kazuko Saito (AfricaRice)
This project focuses on nitrogen use efficiency in crops, using rice as a model system. Current research on nitrogen use efficiency focuses on nitrogen uptake. Little attention is given to nitrogen already present in the plant, lost as volatile ammonia (NH3). Under high temperatures plants operate stress metabolisms such as photorespiration which results in free ammonia in the plant cell that needs to be recycled within the cell. This project examines how efficiently different African rice varieties can re-assimilate this photorespired ammonia under heat stress in order to establish which genes are responsible for the trait.
Read about Tanvir's experiences as a PhD.