Crops such as lettuce, wheat, and tomato are especially vulnerable to heat stress

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded $180,000 to The Regents of the University of California at Riverside on May 1, 2026, under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Foundational and Applied Science Program to synthesize and optimize agrochemicals that modulate the abscisic acid pathway to suppress thermoinhibition of seed germination in heat-stressed crops including lettuce, wheat, and tomato.

The recipient will synthesize large libraries of new chemicals at micro-scale and screen using biochemical assays to identify lead candidate molecules, then refine candidates using 3D molecular modeling and structure-guided optimization. Testing will measure selective mitigation of stress response in target crops. The work is expected to produce a biochemical research tool for studying stress in model organisms and contribute potential new agrochemicals for farmers to improve crop yields. Performance is located in Riverside, California, with a period of performance extending from May 1, 2026, through April 30, 2029.

Failure of seeds to germinate at high temperatures, also known as thermoinhibition, poses a specific agricultural challenge by hindering synchronous seed germination and stand development. This stress response is heavily regulated by the hormone abscisic acid (ABA), which controls seed germination as well as transpiration, root growth, water use, and other major biological processes. My project seeks to synthesize agrochemicals that will modulate the ABA pathway to selectively suppress thermoinhibition of seed germination while maintaining other mechanisms that naturally protect plants from stress.specifically, i will accomplish this goal by:synthesizing large libraries of new chemicals at micro-scale, then screen using biochemical assays to identify lead candidate molecules.refining this candidate using 3D molecular modeling and structure-guided optimization to produce the best possible chemical product.measuring the selective mitigation of stress in crops such as lettuce, wheat, and tomato, using this new chemical.my expected outcomes feature the production of a powerful biochemical research tool for studying stress in model organisms. In addition this work contributes to the body of ABA receptor ligands, acting as a potential new agrochemical for farmers to apply to their fields to improve crop yields in the future.