I am studying the molecular mechanisms underlying interspecific hybrid sterility in rice. African rice (Oryza glaberrima) is a valuable source of traits such as biotic and abiotic stress tolerance and weed competitiveness. However, reproductive barriers between O. sativa and O. glaberrima limit the use of interspecific crosses in rice breeding. These barriers prevent the efficient introgression of favorable alleles from African into Asian rice. My research aims to understand and overcome these reproductive barriers. Using genome editing, we aim to modify key genes involved in hybrid sterility, to enable the development of fertile O. sativa × O. glaberrima interspecific bridge lines. Ultimately, these lines could facilitate the transfer of valuable traits into cultivated rice.
