Molecular Breeding Course

During the last few decades, world rice production has doubled from 257 to 600 million tons. This has mainly been achieved through the application of conventional plant breeding methods coupled with improved production technologies. We need to produce 25% more rice by 2025 to match the growing population. This increase in rice production has to come with less land, less water, less chemicals and less labor. Many biotic and abiotic stresses are a continuing threat to rice productivity and sustainability. The major challenge is to overcome these constraints and produce high yielding rice varieties with multiple resistances to biotic and abiotic stresses possessing improved grain quality and nutritive value. The latest advances in biotechnology and genomics offer new opportunities to overcome these constraints limiting rice production. New approaches are extremely important to accelerate the current breeding programs.

The 12-day residential course will be conducted at IRRI Headquarters, Los Baños, Philippines making use of the state-of-the-art technologies at IRRI and the extensive training facilities.

Objectives

MBC will provide the latest rice science and technology developed from IRRI by hands-on training, observation, and demonstration. This is for participants to enlarge the application of rice science and technology for their agenda, eventually rice science and production would be increase and world population will be secure from food shortage.

Course Content

During this course, participants will:
  • Learn mapping, gene isolation by finemapping, and the application by MAS for breeding;
  • Update the latest advances of IRRI rice science by case studies;
  • Acquire essential laboratory skills and data analysis package tools to facilitate molecular marker application; and
  • Develop own proposal for their special problem regarding rice breeding of home countries..
Methodology

The Molecular Breeding Course will include hands-on laboratory training, working in small groups with assistance of IRRI staff, and will raise participants’ practical skill levels in:
  • Genome browser application using RAP-DB and TIGR
  • Primer design practices; SSR, Indel, SNP
  • Simulated gene mapping and finemapping procedures
  • High throughput DNA extraction for large screening like MAS and modified CTAB method for molecular biology applications;
  • SSRs marker application and SNPs marker application for breeding and rice science;
  • Gel-based routine wet-lab activities
  • Demonstration of automated genotyping of SNP markers and data analysis
  • Application of MAS in case studies; sub1, drought, tungro, etc.
  • SNP-based QTL analysis using single marker analysis, simple and composite interval mapping.
  • Develop a proposal to solve a specific problem in the home institute or country
Date & Venue

September 28-October 9, 2015
International Rice Research Institute
Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines

Contact Information

Dr. Noel Magor
Head, Training Center
Email: IRRITraining@irri.org

International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila, Philippines
Fax: (63-2) 891-1292; 580 5699
Phone: (63-2) 845-0563; 580-5600 ext 2538

Dr. Jung-Hyun Shim
Course Coordinator

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