Professor Adam Price

Biography

• BSc Biochemistry York 1985
• PhD Plant Biochemistry Sheffield 1988
• Research Assistant/Fellow in Lancaster and Bangor 1988-1998

Research Overview

Genetic variation in rice at the breeding, physiological and molecular level, in particular:

• Quantitative trait loci (QTL) and association mapping of drought avoidance mechanisms including root growth and stomatal sensitivity and multi-location field drought resistance.
• QTL mapping major and partial resistance to biotic factors including the most important fungal pathogen of rice (blast), the serious pest the root-knot nematode and the parasitic plant Striga (the most important biological constraint in African agriculture)
• Elucidating the effects of environment on QTL expression
• Genetic variation for arsenic tolerance, uptake and metabolism
• Elucidating the physiological and molecular mechanism responsible for genetic variation identified above
• Identifying candidate genes for the above via bioinformatics, gene expression (including whole genome transcriptomics and Q-PCR), and gene and genome sequencing.

Current Research

Main research efforts are focusing on sustainable rice production in the context of the need to feed the planet while improving sustainability of water use and coping with climate change. Key issues are; 

• The development and exploitation of the new Bengal and Assam Aus Panel of 300 sequenced rice cultivars for genome wide association (GWA) mapping. This includes mapping drought, salt and cadmium tolerance plus nitrogen use efficiency. The population is currently in three Indian, three Bangladeshi, one Pakistatani, one Philippino and three UK institutions. 
• Alternative wetting and drying as a method to grow rice using less water while also reducing greenhouse gas emmissions and reducing grain arsenic uptake.
• Coordinating multi-country screens to map geneic variation in nitrogen use efficiency
• Identifying genes to reduce grain arsenic and cadmium in rice.
• Methods of multi-trait analysis for genome wide association mapping.
• The role of natural variation in aquaporins in rice water relations.
• The importance of genetic variation amongst rice cultivars for mycorrhizal colonisation.
• Genetic and biological control of the root knot nematode including breeding in Italy and India. 

Current staff;

Kirsten Brown- technician

Tony Travis- Postdoctoral Research Assisatant working on the GCRF South Asia Nitrogen Hub project speciallised in bioinformatics

Current research students;

Yehia Hazzazi- Nitrogen Use Efficiency in rice using the Bengal and Assam Aus Panel and GWA Mapping

Mari Sumayli- The Biological Significance of Genetic Variation in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Colonisation in Rice

Dhin Islam-  Effects of soil physical conditions and alternate wetting and drying on the performance of rice

Dalal Alonazy- Genetic Mapping Heat Stress Resistance in the Bengal and Assam Aus Panel

Chris Tembo- The Biological Significance of Genetic Variation in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Colonisation in Rice

Sara Bataw- Evaluation of rice candidate genes for arsenic and phosphorus concentration

Farzana Era- Salt Stress Tolerance of Mature Rice Plants using the Bengal and Assam Aus Panel

Fatimah Alhawiti-  Genetic Mapping Cold Stress Resistance in the Bengal and Assam Aus Panel

Collaborations

Extensive collaborations in India (eight institutions), Bangladesh (three institutions), one in the Philippines and Pakistan, plus more than 10 in Europe and a similar number in the UK. 

Funding and Grants

• GCRF South Asia Nitrogen Hub (BBSRC funding). Five year £19M project with 13 UK and 20+ South Asian partners. £600K to Aberdeen, joint with Jo Smith. Start 1^st April 2019

• Newton Fund 3 year project “NUCLEUS: a virtual joint centre to deliver enhanced Nitrogen Use effiCiency via an integrated SoiL-plant systEms approach for the Uk & BraSil”, coordinated by Nottingham University, Aberdeen budget of £230K of £2,241K total. Start 1st January 2016
• Newton Fund 3 year project “Newton-Bhabha Virtual Centre on Nitrogen Efficiency of Whole-cropping Systems for improved performance and resilience in agriculture (NEWS India-UK)”, coordinated by CEH Edinburgh, Aberdeen budget of £360K of £1,130K UK total. Start 1st January 2016. 
• FACCE-ERA-NET+ 3 year funded project GreenRice, seven partners in 4 countries coordinated by CIRAD, Montpellier. Aberdeen budget €878K of €1,447K total. Start 1^st December 2014
• BBSRC Case Studentship- 4 year project with Bayer CropScience entitled “Towards identification of QTLs for root traits in bread wheat”. Start October 2014
• EU FP7 funded project EURoot, 4 year 20 partner project on cereal roots coordinated from CIRAD, Montpellier. Aberdeen has budget of €210K of a total €3M. Coordinator of dissemination workpackage. Start January 2012
• BBSRC funded project “A genetic dissection of traits required for sustainable water use in rice using Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS)” joint with Lancaster, the International Rice Research Institute and Mymensingh University. £1.1 M with £922 K to Aberdeen. I am PI with Co-Is Professor Meharg and Salt and Dr Ebenhoeh. Start February 2012, end January 2016
• EU-FP7 project "EURoot:  Enhancing resource Uptake from Roots under stress in cereal crops". €3 M, 20 partner project with €209 to Aberdeen. Dissemination workpackage coordinator. Start Jan 2012, end December 2015.
• EU-FP7 Marie Curie Incoming Fellowship "LowAsRice" for Tapash Dasgupta, Calcutta University. Start date in negotiation. Budget £207k.
• Generations Challenge Program funded project "Targeting Drought-Avoidance Root Traits to Enhance Rice Productivity under Water-Limited Environments". Three year project with 10 partners in Philippines, India, Australia, USA, Nigeria, Tanzania, Japan and UK, coordinated by Rachid Serraj, IRRI. Start 1^st December 2008. Budget $104k (of total grant $900k).
• BBSRC funded project "Characterizing genetic & soil induced variation in arsenic uptake, translocation & metabolism in rice to mitigate arsenic contamination in Asia" with Andy Meharg and Jorg Feldmann in collaboration with Rothamsted Research, UK, and research laboratories in Bangladesh, India and China. Start December 2007. Budget £412k (of total grant £617k).
• CEDROME; EU INCO-DEV funded project "Developing drought-tolerant cereals to support efficient water management in the Mediterranean area" in collaboration with partners in Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, China, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt. Start 1^st January 2006. Budget 290k Euro (of 1.7M Euro)
• BBSRC funded project "What makes rice roots able to penetrate hard layers? An integrated biophysical, modelling, genetic and molecular approach". Start October 2004, end October 2007. Funds held £209,000.
• BBSRC funded project 'Genetic dissection of environmental influence on root growth in rice using QTL analysis'. Start November 2000, end October 2003. Funds held £138,000.
• RESIDEV; EU INCO-DEV funded project 'Exploring the genetic diversity of rice-blast host-pathogen interactions in China: a tool to improve breeding for resistance to blast disease.' in collaboration with two labs in France and two in China. Start March 2001, end September 2003. Funds held 159,275 ECU (of total grant 903,230 ECU)
• BBSRC funded project 'The development of Near Isogenic Lines at root growth and drought resistance Quantitative Trait Loci in upland rice'. Start November 1999, end January 2001. Funds held £30,592.
• DFID Plant Sciences Programme funded project 'Analysis of environmental effects on expression of root penetration QTLs in Upland Rice, and development of PCR markers for QTL selection in drought resistance breeding'. Start 1st August 1999, end 31 July 2002. Funds held £86,556 (of total grant £165,017).