Behrooz Darbani: Iron Biofortification of the Wheat Endosperm

In this project, he took two transgenic approaches to increasing the iron content of the modern wheat endosperm. The first was by overexpression of the iron storage protein ferritin in the endosperm and the second was by undertaking an aleurone-specific manipulation of the vacuolar iron storage capacity. He did the latter by down and upregulation of vacuolar iron transporter 1 genes to redistribute iron into the endosperm. He tried to use RNA sequencing to establish a model for mineral loading pathways into the grain and to identify new candidate genes involved in the mineral loading.

The PhD degree was completed at the Research Centre Flakkebjerg, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, in the research group Crop Genetics and Biotechnology, Aarhus University.

Time: Monday 9 July 2012 at 09.00
Place: Lecture Theatre, Research Centre Flakkebjerg, Førsegvej 1, Slagelse
Title of dissertation: Iron Biofortification of the Wheat Endosperm
Contact information: Behrooz Darbani, darbani.behrooz@agrsci.dk, +45 5357 8055
Members of the assessment committee:
Professor Jean-François Briat, Biochemistry and Plant Molecular Physiology (BPMP), University of Montpellier 2, France
Professor Søren Husted, Department of Agriculture and Ecology, University of Copenhagen
Professor Bernd Wollenweber (chair), Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University
Main supervisor:
Professor Preben Bach Holm, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University
Co-supervisors:
Associate Professor Søren Borg, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University
Associate Professor Henrik Brinch-Pederson, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University
Language: The dissertation will be defended in English

The defence is public.
The dissertation is available for reading at the Graduate School of Science and Technology/GSST, Ny Munkegade 120, building 1521, room 112, 8000 Aarhus C.