The Institute launched five new research initiatives in 2004 to address major challenges in Iowa agriculture and to enhance the value of Iowa crops. The research initiatives call on our core competencies in genomics, bioinformatics, plant metabolism and molecular breeding to tackle problems of significance to Iowa's agriculture and industry.

The research initiatives are a new way of doing business at the Institute. They are intended to focus the efforts of the Institute on term projects and coordinate the activities of the research centers. The initiatives will produce deliverables – real products or services – and will blaze new research trails at Iowa State. The initiatives are cross cutting – engaging the breadth of the Institute's talent and resources. The initiatives are also intended to "push the envelope" of research at Iowa State, encouraging faculty, staff and students to reach for higher goals by working in interdisciplinary teams.

The research initiatives are making efficient and focused use of the Institute's resources to solve significant problems challenging Iowa agriculture and its bioscience industries. To reach its goals, each initiative has one or more research projects. Several projects utilize facilities supported by the Institute, including the Iowa State University Plant Transformation Facility, W.M. Keck Metabolomics Research Laboratory, the Pioneer Hi-Bred International Plant Genomics Laboratory, the Proteomics Facility in the Roy J. Carver Co-Laboratory, and the Center for Designing Foods to Improve Nutrition Human Metabolic Unit.

The five initiatives and the leaders and co-leaders are:

Genomes -- This initiative makes use of the enormous advances in maize genomics to discover the molecular basis for the most important component of yield in corn, hybrid vigor (heterosis). Information from global gene expression and metabolic profiling analyses will be used to create more vigorous hybrids -- overcoming present day limits on corn production in Iowa. Leader: Patrick Schnable (

); co-leader: Robert Jernigan ().

Biopharmaceuticals -- Plant-made pharmaceutical production represents an unparalleled opportunity for producing high-value products in Iowa crops. Research projects in this initiative address some of the major technological challenges in biopharmaceutical production -- particularly the development of methods for the safe and efficient production/processing of plant-made pharmaceuticals. The biopharmaceutical initiative partners with the Biosafety Institute for Genetically Modified Plants (BIGMAP) to address safety and regulatory issues that limit the development of this industry in Iowa. Leader: Kan Wang (

); co-leader: Manjit Misra ().

Nutrition -- This is an initiative to enhance the nutritional value of plant products in food and feed. The feed component of this initiative will use gene chip technology to search the soybean genome for genes that contribute to high protein and oil production in soybean, without sacrificing yield. The initiative will also attempt to develop more nutritious human foods from Iowa crops and will focus on the development of slowsugar-release starch to combat obesity and type II diabetes. Leader: Diane Birt (

); co-leader: Martha James ().

Biorenewables -- This initiative is a joint effort with Iowa State's Bioeconomy Initiative to tailor feedstocks to create better raw materials and more biomass for bioenergy and biobased product production. The initiative aims to develop soybean oils that are "ready-made" biodiesel fuels (do not require refining) and better adapted for lubricant uses. This initiative will also attempt to develop lignocellulosic materials (plant residues) that convert more easily to fermentable feedstocks. Leader: Lawrence Johnson (

); co-leader: Basil Nikolau (); co-leader: Kendall Lamkey ().

Crop protection -- This initiative is intended us to protect Iowa crops from natural and made-made threats. A crash program in this initiative targets soybean rust, an emerging disease that imperils Iowa's soybean crop. Scientists working on this initiative will conduct global scans of the soybean genome to identify molecular interactions between soybeans and the rust fungus with the goal of generating effective means of disease detection and control. Leader: Thomas Baum (

); co-leader Steven Whitham ().