Green foxtail as a model C4 grass

Setaria viridis is the wild progenitor of S. italica, more commonly known as foxtail millet. Green foxtail is related to other grasses that have been considered candidate bioenergy feedstocks such switchgrass, Miscanthus and sorghum. Both green foxtail and foxtail millet have been sequenced by the DOE JGI, and this project focuses on understanding and promoting green foxtail as a model system for studying the carbon-nitrogen balance, biomass accumulation, biotic and abiotic stress tolerance and water use efficiency in many candidate feedstock grasses that use C4 photosynthesis, a carbon fixation process. Another grass model system, Brachypodium distachyon, is a C3 grass.

Proposer’s Name: Thomas P. Brutnell