OpenAlex · 2026-07-28
Researchers are using a model grass plant to decode why wheat and barley lost the ability to stay dormant as seeds, a trait that helps grains survive on the plant without sprouting prematurely. By identifying the genetic switches controlling dormancy, they hope to restore this protection in crops and prevent costly pre-harvest losses.
Seed dormancy, the trait delaying germination, has been largely eliminated from major crops like wheat and barley through centuries of artificial selection.
Brachypodium distachyon, a wild model grass, retains strong and genetically diverse seed dormancy, making it ideal for studying the regulatory mechanisms lost in crops.
The project combines next-generation genetic mapping to discover novel dormancy regulators with CRISPR mutagenesis to confirm their function.
