This $432,274 National Science Foundation (NSF) Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) award supports a collaborative research project led by the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. The project aims to investigate the genomic and epigenomic basis of phenotypic plasticity in grafted grapevines, a key perennial crop with significant economic importance.
Over the project period from February 2025 to January 2029, the researchers will use an integrative systems biology approach to study how the genome and epigenome of grapevine scions and rootstocks interact to produce diverse plant phenotypes in response to environmental conditions. The work leverages experimental vineyards planted with a single scion cultivar grafted to different commercial rootstocks across three distinct growing regions. The project will collect and analyze data on plant physiology, leaf/fruit ionomics and metabolomics, wine chemistry, and connections between small RNAs, mRNAs, and DNA methylation signatures in shoots and roots. All data generated will be made publicly accessible through long-term repositories. The goal is to provide insights that can help breeders develop more resilient grapevine varieties and growers improve production across diverse environments.