The Ronald lab, the University of North Carolina, The Structural Genomics Consortium and other collaborators will develop and implement a chemistry-driven gene discovery approach to identify genes that modulate root traits.

The project targets protein kinases, enzymes that control diverse biological process in plants, such as root architecture and drought response. Genes corresponding to kinases discovered in this project will be further characterized using a recently established comprehensive collection of mutants to assess their roles in root system architecture and drought tolerance.