The Iowa State agronomy department can add an a few more millions to the $90 million in funding that it already has received this semester.

The department recently was awarded an estimated $2.9 million grant from the National Science Foundation to use for better understanding the genetics of the corn plant.

“ISU was successful in receiving the grant for several reasons,” said Patrick Schnable, professor of agronomy. “ISU’s growing strength and reputation in the plant sciences, the recent investments in genomics and the proposal which included some excellent cutting-edge genomics science were just a few of the reasons.”

Schnable said the grant will go toward salaries for post-doctoral scientists, students, technicians, as well as supplies and equipment. He will lead a team of scientists who will research corn plant genetics by using highly efficient genetic mapping tools.

“One of the team’s goals is to develop novel high-throughput genetic mapping technology [Mapping Array], so that the corn genome can be broken down at a rate of thousands of genes at a time,” he said.

Tom Loynachan, interim head of the agronomy department, said Schnable is more than qualified to lead this team, and he is very excited about the research that will be conducted.

“The grant brings a lot of recognition to ISU and the agronomy department,” he said. “Once we better understand the corn genome, then we can reach the goal of becoming the carbohydrate capital of the world.”

Other scientists joining the team include Xun Gu, assistant professor of zoology; Daniel Ashlock, associate professor of mathematics; Michael Lee, professor of agronomy; Kendall Lamkey, associate professor of agronomy; and Gavin Naylor, assistant professor of zoology and genetics.

The research will be done at the newly developed Plant Sciences Institute.