Integrative Crop Biotechnology and Management Research Group

BIOTEC

Integrative Crop Biotechnology and Management Research Group (ACBG)

ACBG aims at using S&T to build capability and create security in crop production. The emphasis is on crops which are of economically and socially importance to Thailand in order to boost production efficiency and to add value and diversity to product development. ABCG develops crop production protocol which is able to rise to climate change challenge and is able to reduce environmental footprint while production loss and yield risk is minimized. ACBG also aims at developing and introducing technologies into crop production process to ensure quality and safety of fresh produce in order to supply quality products to food industry. ABCG also intends to carry on its role as a regional hub for capacity building and transfer of advanced plant breeding technology to countries in the Mekong and ASEAN regions.

The Integrative Crop Biotechnology and Management Research Group comprises of 5 research teams :
1. Innovative Plant Biotechnology and Precision Agriculture Research Team focuses on customer-focuses rice breeding using marker-assisted selection technique (MAS). Emphasis is placed on the development of nutrient dense cultivars which are also disease resistance and climate resilience. A breeding platform which incorporates phenotypic and genotypic data of rice has been developed and utilized in order to understand the function and mechanisms of gene expression underlying economically-important traits, nutrient efficiency and stress resistance. ACBG also aims to carry on its role as a regional hub for rice breeding using MAS through the Mekong Community of Practice in Rice Breeding (MCPR) project which has been carried out since 2004.

2. Innovative Plant Genetic and Physiology Research Team emphasizes the use of plant molecular biology and biotechnology to understand, at molecular level, biological and physical changes, target gene expression and development of storage organs and the accumulation of compound in targeted storage organ. The knowledge acquired is used for biosynthesis and pharmacology purposes to cater demands in production of high-value crops.
3. Plant Virus and Bacteriophage Research Team focuses on the use of promoter to control the expression of plant genes for plant breeding and the use of bacteriophages to treat pathogenic bacterial infections in economically-important crops.
4. Innovative Herbal Plant Factory Research Team utilizes plant physiology and biochemistry for modern crop production. Emphasis is also placed on the development of technology to induce bioactive compound production in medicinal and high value plants. Modern plant breeding and propagation of economically-important crops such as oil palm, coconut and coffee are also areas of focus.
5. Plant Microbe Interaction Research Team focuses on the studies of host-microbe interactions such as plants or insects and the understanding of biology and ecology and evolutionary relationship of fungi. Basic knowledge based on biodiversity, taxanomic and ecological information of various fungal groups from natural and agricultural habitat are created and used for conservation and to gain understanding on biodiversity and ecological system.